1. OpenWorldCat Program Window to the world’s libraries
Libraries in the Digital Age 2005
Vivien Cook
Regional Account Manager
OCLC PICA
At the very heart of the OCLC cooperative lies WorldCat, a global union catalogue created and maintained by the member institutions.
Over 60 million online records built from the bibliographic and ownership (holdings) information of contributing libraries, it is the largest and most comprehensive database of its kind.
WorldCat-listed resources span thousands of years, represent hundreds of languages and records exists for every form of human expression ranging from stone tablets to electronic books, wax recordings to MP3s, DVDs and Websites.
More than bibliographic records, many references in WorldCat are enriched with cover art, table of contents, reviews, excerpts and other descriptive information.
Not just a resource discovery tool but WorldCat also serves as resource locator, records typically have library holdings attached and/or links to external resource providers such as booksellers, licensed databases, websites etc.,
Window to the world’s libraries

2. OCLC Environmental Scan
The Web has become the most significant engine driving changes that impact on libraries and OCLC PICA alike.
An OCLC study undertaken in 2003 endeavoured to identify and describe the issues and trends that are impacting on OCLC, libraries, museums and archives both now and in the future. While the scope of this report was the social, political, economic and technological spheres in which we operate, I would like to concentrate only on the social landscape and more specifically the “Information Consumer”.
Without this individual there would be no need for libraries – but three main trends characterise the new Information Consumer
Self Sufficiency – banking, shopping, entertainment, research etc., all have one theme in common – self service. The population as a whole has become increasingly comfortable with web-based information and are efficient online users. Search engines as gateways to facts and answers and a variety of “Ask” services have become alternatives to traditional library reference services.
Satisfaction – surveys indicate that the open web provides information consumers with “most of what they need”. Furthermore it is argued that information and content is far easier to find on the web than in physical or virtual libraries.
Seamlessness – traditional separation of academic, leisure and work time is fusing into a seamless world aided by computer devices that support multiple activities. In contrast, many library environments still operate with separate spheres of information.
As librarians we cannot change user behaviour and so we need to meet the user in this new information landscape.
Google has transformed the world we inhabit
Google is a major player in search technologies
Google has become a substitute for a visit to the library’s reference desk

3. OCLC Environmental Scan
Challenge :
How do we bring the world of the Library (order, rationality) and the world of the Web (disorder, anarchy) together ?
In direct response to the googlized world we now inhabit, OCLC launched the OpenWorldCat Pilot
In December A subset of 2 million abridged records from WorldCat were made available on the Google search service
End user enters a search term in Google, Google Scholar or Yahoo! Search which, in turn, matches the title of a library-owned item
Returned search results include a link to Open WorldCat indicated by: “Find in a Library” (Yahoo) or Library Search (Google)
Selecting this link takes the user to the OpenWorldCat interface Default geographic location information may be assumed via IP recognition or requested by the system
Resultant list of libraries displays location details and other pertinent information and can link directly to the library’s online catalogue
Lets take a look ….
OCLC Mission:
To “weave libraries into the Web” becomes the driver behind the Open WorldCat Program

4. Google Scholar search term
Entering the search term “digital Libraries” in Google Scholar returns many, many hits, however the citation Digital Libraries by WY ARMS is ranked 5th in the results list.
The Library Search link indicates that this title is in the WorldCat database, clicking on this link takes the user to the OpenWorldCat environment presenting a list of local libraries that hold this title
Retrieved citation, Library Search
Option Links to OpenWorldCat

5. Search for other editions
Go to library catalogue
Via IP address recognition, OpenWorldCat defaults to holdings in the UK, however this may be changed by entry of an alternative country.
The Library Info link will take the user the library’s home page displaying useful information such as opening times, etc., while the Library name link will take the user directly to the OPAC, in most cases automatically passing the citation details across for a seamless search of the OPAC and immediate display of the title and copy status.

6. Deep linking capabilities pass the ISBN directly to library OPAC for
So in just three brief clicks, the web searcher has been gently steered to the rich resources held in their local libraries.
Deep linking capabilities
pass the ISBN directly to library OPAC for
immediate retrieval of
the record

7. Search for related works or other editions,
Links to alternate “fulfillment” options
Returning briefly to the OpenWorldCat record display the user is presented with a host of re-searching or navigation possibilities.
Subjects
Selecting any of the listed subject links will re-search the WorldCat database for items with the chosen subject heading and will redisplay these records in the Google interface
Related
As a result of a recent OCLC project to evaluate the effectiveness of the FRBR algortihm, by clicking on the “other editions” link will present associated or related works
Services in your Library
Once again using IP address recognition, OpenWorldCat can display other "fulfillment" links including links to OpenURL resolvers, NetLibrary, document suppliers, a Group Catalog view, and book sites. These links simply reflect what the institution (with which the user is associated, based on IP address) has access to.

8. Using the “Search for other editions” option OpenWorldCat displays brief results of alternative editions of this title, e.g. electronic version, chinese edition
This title has be released as both an ebook and in chinese ….
Selecting the electronic version once more returns the user to OpenWorldCat….

9. And from here the user could directly access the electronic text via the NetLibrary link
OpenWorldCat also provides direct access to alternate, internal & external resources

11. Open WorldCat Pilot
OpenWorldCat began as a pilot project which quickly validated itself : monthly inbound links grew from a few hundred to millions in just six months.

12. Linking to Libraries
Links from the pilot interface to library catalogues and other online resources also increased.
Of the 8.7million links to OpenWorldCat, nearly 400,000 links were then made to library resources during the month of April alone.
OPACs represent over 80% of additional “off clicks” which is a direct benefit to our member libraries
10-12% Library info link
Approx 8% authenticated services of an overall 15% authenticated users

13. More value from WorldCat
As the OpenWorldCat program has developed, its activity has eclipsed the volume of searches performed in the WorldCat database on the OCLC FirstSearch service

14. Managing your account Load and maintain your library
holdings in WorldCat
Configure links to your OPAC, website and internal/external licenced resources
Maintain a subscription to WorldCat via Firstsearch
Track usage via OCLC online statistics
To become a member library of the OpenWorldCat program :
Contact your OCLC PICA representative to arrange for the “free” loading of your holdings to WorldCat
Configure links to your OPAC and other relevant web pages and resources via the FirstSearch Administration Module or Open WorldCat Feedback form (for those with no F/S subscription)
As of January 1st 2006 a library will be required to purchase and maintain a subscription to WorldCat in FirstSearch in order to keep holdings visible in OpenWorldCat

15. Summary: Open WorldCat
Powerful library advocate in a Web world!
Surface WorldCat content
Guide users to libraries’ resources
Purpose
Boost library collection visibility on Web