FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


New WorldCat Registry is comprehensive directory
for libraries, consortia and the services they provide

Free Web-based WorldCat Registry allows management
of organizational data for vendors, third parties in one place

Registry data in WorldCat.org to help Web searchers
find what they need in the nearest library

 
DUBLIN, Ohio, February 26, 2007-OCLC has launched the WorldCat Registry,
a comprehensive directory for libraries and consortia, and the services
they provide.  The WorldCat Registry will help libraries and consortia
manage and share data that define their organizations-such as
institution type, location, URLs for electronic services, circulation
statistics, and population served-through a single, authoritative Web
platform.

Profile data in the WorldCat Registry can include details such as branch
library locations that can be used as part of WorldCat.org, the Web
service that allows free access to the world's richest resource for
finding materials held in libraries, enabling searchers to find what
they need at the nearest library.

"The Registry was created to help libraries and other cultural heritage
institutions make themselves more visible on the Web, and to ease
libraries' administrative burdens associated with providing the same
types of information to many sources," said Chip Nilges, Vice President,
OCLC New Services.  "Using data from the WorldCat Registry, WorldCat.org
will expand its location listings and make it possible for Web searchers
to locate, with greater accuracy, the library nearest them."

The Registry also helps solve an increasingly common administrative
burden for libraries and library groups:  keeping multiple institutional
identities up to date across different internal and third-party
applications and through a variety of methods, including Web interfaces,
faxed paper forms and phone calls.

"Libraries, consortia, and electronic content vendors all need to
maintain current files of information such as computer-network IP
addresses, local administrative contacts, and size of the user
community," said Celeste Feather, Electronic Resources Librarian at The
Ohio State University Libraries.  "The problem for libraries is that
they are expected to maintain this information in many places if they
want to ensure reliable service.  Vendors also need an efficient way to
maintain this information in their systems."

"A centralized database such as the WorldCat Registry for this type of
information would facilitate efficient sharing of critical information
among many interested parties.  If widely adopted, the registry service
could provide a solution to a difficult workflow issue for librarians,"
said Ms. Feather.

Any institution or consortium-OCLC members and non-members alike-can use
the WorldCat Registry to share their profile with other libraries,
technology vendors, e-content providers, funding agencies, and other
parties that could benefit from access.  A WorldCat Registry profile is
shared via a special Web link that provides instant, read-only access to
the most current data.

A WorldCat Registry profile will let an institution or consortium
maintain and share information, such as:

*        Institution name, "also known as" alias, and type

*        Identifying codes issued by industry organizations

*        Physical location

*        Consortia memberships

*        Parent-child relationships (main and branch institutions)

*        Computer-network IP addresses

*        Web-based services such as online catalog, "Ask-a" virtual
reference and OpenURL servers

*        Budgetary and service statistics

*        Administrative contacts

Sensitive information such as personal IP addresses and contact names,
phone numbers or e-mail addresses are not made publicly available in the
WorldCat Registry.

Web services that allow the query and retrieval of specific Registry
data by online applications are also available.  Two Web services have
been released for free, non-commercial use as part of the WorldCat
Affiliate Program at http://worldcat.org/affiliate/default.jsp.  

Visit the WorldCat Registry at
http://worldcat.org/registry/institutions.

 

About OCLC

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC Online Computer
Library Center is a nonprofit organization that has provided
computer-based cataloging, reference, resource sharing, eContent and
preservation services to 57,000 libraries in 112 countries and
territories.  OCLC and its member libraries worldwide have created and
maintain WorldCat, the world's richest online resource for finding
library materials.  For more information, visit www.oclc.org.

 

OCLC and WorldCat are trademarks and/or service marks
of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.

Third-party product, service and business names are trademarks and/or
service marks of their respective owners.

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