Social networking sites devoted to sharing lists of things have been around for a long time, as have those specialized in sharing information related to books – bibliographies, reviews, cover images. A month ago a group of librarians initiated the beta version of their site for sharing literature. Called WorldCat for, I presume, World Catalogue, it is little more than a month old and momentum is merely starting. Below are snatches of text from the site and from the blog where the interested can trace WorldCat's development.
Highlighted below is text from the WorldCat homepage with a claim positioned in the future: there are many, many library networks that can be consulted, including those of the largest research libraries in the world; it will take some doing to match or exceed those accessible holdings. Access, by the way, does not include lending rights or even privilege to examine a document. One has access to the metadata prepared by a library and, in a sense, the search has only begun once that information is in hand….
" WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services. WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access to their resources on the Web, where most people start their search for information. |
What am I searching?
WorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world. WorldCat grows every day thanks to the efforts of librarians and other information professionals."
The several YouTube video on WorldCat are gems of performance. One of my favorites is of a senior law librarian elaborating on a project to be reported in July 2008 on developing a specialized legal reference list. Another video, possibly more prosaic but practical for the rest of us, is how a bibliography for a collaborative project can be created and then formatted into a large assortment of styles, and then exported to other referencing tools like EndNote. And another is how to install a Firefox plug-in tool making WorldCat all the easier.
Now, the WorldCat blog….
Welcome to the WorldCat Blog
By Laura on February 18, 2008 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)
Welcome to the WorldCat Blog! – a fun spot to read about what's happening on WorldCat.org and to share cool ways that people are using the site and their libraries.
What exactly is WorldCat you ask?
It is the world's largest network of library items. WorldCat lets you search many libraries at once to find books, articles, music, videos and more. And helps you locate items in a library near you.
The team here at WorldCat.org is working on new tools and new ways to allow you to make the most of all the resources WorldCat has to offer - to aid your interests, work, and library selections – and to collaborate and share with other WorldCat users. We will be sharing these things with you in this blog and hope that you will share your thoughts and ideas with us as well.
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