WorldCat Identities facts for kids
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Type of site
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Network of library content and services |
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| Available in |
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| Owner | Online Computer Library Center |
| Alexa rank | ▲ 3,433 (February 2019[update]) |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Optional, but some features require registration (such as writing reviews and making lists or bibliographies) |
| Launched | January 21, 1998 |
| Current status | Online |
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Content license
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Copyright policy |
| OCLC number | 756372754 |
WorldCat is a huge online list that shows what books, movies, music, and other items are held by libraries around the world. It includes items from 17,900 libraries in 123 different countries. This amazing resource is managed by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), a group that helps libraries work together.
WorldCat is the largest collection of library records anywhere. Libraries that are members of OCLC help keep this big database updated. While libraries use WorldCat for free, it also helps them with other services like sharing items between libraries. Both librarians and the public use WorldCat to find information and do research.
Contents
What is WorldCat and How Does It Work?
WorldCat is like a giant search engine just for libraries. It helps you find almost anything a library might have. This includes books, movies, music, and even digital items.
How Libraries Use WorldCat
Libraries use WorldCat in many ways. They use it to:
- Find out what other libraries own.
- Share resources with each other.
- Manage their own collections.
- Help people find items they are looking for.
Who Can Use WorldCat?
Anyone can search WorldCat online for free. It is a great tool for students, researchers, and anyone curious. You can look up books for school projects or find out if a certain movie is available at a library near you.
WorldCat's Journey: A Brief History
WorldCat has been around for a long time, growing and changing to help people find information. Its story began even before the internet was common.
Early Days of WorldCat
The OCLC started in 1967. That same year, they began working on the technology for WorldCat. The very first library records were added to this system in 1971. This was a big step towards creating the global catalog we know today.
Making WorldCat More Accessible
In 2003, OCLC launched a program called "Open WorldCat." This program made parts of WorldCat available on other websites. It helped more people discover what libraries had to offer. This meant you could find library items through popular search engines.
Adding User Contributions
In 2005, OCLC experimented with a project called WikiD. This allowed readers to add comments to WorldCat records. While WikiD later changed, WorldCat still found ways to include contributions from its users. This helps make the information even richer.
WorldCat Goes Public Online
By 2006, anyone could search WorldCat directly on its own website. Before this, it was mainly for libraries. This made it much easier for everyone to explore the vast collections. More advanced search options are still available for librarians.
Connecting People and Information
In 2007, WorldCat Identities was launched. This feature created pages for millions of "identities." These identities are mostly authors and important people that books are written about. It helps users learn more about the people behind the works.
WorldCat Today: A Massive Collection
As of May 2019, WorldCat had over 450 million records. These records covered items in 484 different languages. It listed more than 2.8 billion physical and digital library items. The data from WorldCat also includes information on over 100 million people.
Related Pages to Explore
- Copac
- Open Library
- Research Libraries UK
