A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 5

OCLC Update

By Regan W. Harper
Billionth Holding Added to WorldCat
OCLC's WorldCat, the database built by thousands of librarians, has reached one billion holdings. On August 11, at 2:21:34 p.m. (Eastern time), Anne Slane, a cataloger for Worthington (Ohio) Libraries, entered holdings information for the book The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s Pop Sensation, becoming the one billionth holding record in the WorldCat database. For further details see: www.oclc.org/worldcat/default.htm.

WorldCat Collection Analysis Enhanced
In late July, OCLC installed an enhancement to WorldCat Collection Analysis (WCA) that allows individual subscribers to create a comparison with just one other institution. To use this new WCA feature, the requesting library must obtain written permission from the comparison library and provide proof of this permission to OCLC and send the permission via e-mail to wcapermission@oclc.org.

Using the sample permission template, libraries can contact the appropriate library staff (most likely the library director). The simplest way to obtain the needed e-mail address (if you don't already know it) is to look on the library's Web site.

A permission request template in MS Word format is available at www.oclc.org/support/documentation/collectionanalysis/permission.doc. A hyperlink to the template is provided on the Collection Analysis tab in FirstSearch Admin. Subscribers can save this Word document, fill in the appropriate names and send it as an e-mail attachment to the comparing library or copy-and-paste it into the e-mail message.

Some libraries are excluded from the one-to-one comparisons. Subscribers will receive a message informing them the libraries are not available when they try to create a comparison with an excluded institution. The excluded institutions can be used in a comparison of two-to-five libraries.

For more information on WorldCat Collection Analysis, contact BCR's Rosario Garza (rgarza@bcr.org).

The Dewey Blog Is Here
025.431: The Dewey blog is a Web log covering topics related to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and knowledge organization. You'll find news of, and views on, current issues; links to interesting, amusing and/or unusual DDC resources; and continuous opportunity to comment, give feedback and take part in discussions that will help to shape the future of the DDC. Who might be interested in 025.431: The Dewey blog?

Subject catalogers and classifiers responsible for assigning DDC numbers.
Designers and analysts of library cataloging systems and metadata standards.
Users of libraries and collections that are organized by DDC.

025.431: The Dewey blog is edited by Jonathan Furner, assistant editor of the DDC, with contributions from other members of the Dewey editorial team. The content of the blog is not vetted by the owners of the DDC (OCLC) or by the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee. Read 025.431: The Dewey blog at ddc.typepad.com/.

Sagebrush Added as PromptCat Vendor
Sagebrush Corporation has partnered with OCLC to provide the OCLC PromptCat cataloging service to libraries. PromptCat provides automated copy cataloging to libraries in cooperation with library material vendors. Libraries may now sign up with Sagebrush as a PromptCat vendor. Sagebrush offers a complete range of products and services for educators and librarians, including an ever-increasing selection of the latest titles and the Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts! reading programs.

To learn more about Sagebrush, visit its Web site at www.sagebrushcorp.com/. To learn more about PromptCat, go to www.oclc.org/promptcat/default.htm. For a list of current PromptCat vendors, visit www.oclc.org/promptcat/about/vendors/.

No Resource Cataloging for Connexion Browser
Previously, the Connexion browser provided access to the Resource Catalog as a separate database under Cataloging, Search, Resource Catalog. Initially the Resource Catalog was developed as a database of electronic resources as part of the CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog) project. All records now have been incorporated into OCLC WorldCat, and the Resource Catalog has been removed as a separate database from the Connexion browser.

Next Article | Previous Article | Table of Contents | BCR Publications