WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway
The WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway pilot provides digital collection managers with a self-service capability to harvest their collection metadata to WorldCat. The collections' metadata is then available for end users to search and discover from WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local. End users can click through to a library's local CONTENTdm server to view and use its unique digital items.

Collection managers use the Digital Collection Gateway to create profiles for their digital content metadata to be regularly harvested, uploaded and converted to WorldCat format. After harvesting, WorldCat assigns and returns an OCLC number which is added to collection metadata to support future synchronizations. This unique identifier becomes a cross-reference for digital items in WorldCat and can be used for search and reference purposes.

During the pilot phase, the Digital Collection Gateway will only be accessible to selected early adopters. The Gateway is replacing the WorldCat Metadata Harvesting Program previously used by CONTENTdm collection managers to load digital content metadata to WorldCat. The WorldCat Metadata Harvesting Program is being discontinued with the introduction of the Gateway and CONTENTdm 5.1.

CONTENTdm 5.1
OCLC also has released the new CONTENTdm 5.1, introducing WorldCat Sync, a new feature that allows CONTENTdm users to register their collections with the WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway. In addition to WorldCat Sync, CONTENTdm 5.1 includes enhancements to indexing and EAD handling.

Twelve new EAD elements have been added to the metadata mapping functionality allowing libraries to create more robust metadata records for their archival finding aids. Additionally, three new alternate EAD stylesheets are available to support the display of finding aids that use the <thead> element to format the contents list section.

With CONTENTdm 5.1, incremental indexing is now supported when minor edits are made to metadata within collections, saving time by eliminating the need to completely run the index every time changes are made. Additionally, performance enhancements were made to indexing so that when full indexes are run it results in faster indexing times, especially when indexing large collections.

Current CONTENTdm Users
For more information on CONTENTdm 5.1, documentation is available on the CONTENTdm User Support Center. There are Installation and Administration Guides, a complete feature list and an FAQ about the Digital Collection Gateway.

The software for Version 5.1 is now available for download from the CONTENTdm User Support Center. Hosted sites will be upgraded this week.

If a library is still running version 4.3, they will be able to upgrade directly to CONTENTdm 5.1. Additionally, OCLC is extending the 90-day waiver of the EULA restriction that limits libraries to installing and running only one instance of CONTENTdm for users migrating from 4.3 to 5.1. That means libraries can run version 4.3 and 5.1 in parallel for 90 days to assist with their migration.

Please note that if a library has an Annual Maintenance Agreement in place, there is no charge for this update to 5.1 or for using the Digital Collection Gateway.

Libraries that need assistance may contact CONTENTdm support at contentdmsupport@oclc.org or 1-877-797-0887.