As David correctly points out, if you search WorldCat.org, you can now see catalogue data from UK public libraries - those libraries who are full subscribing members of the Unity UK (UUK)ILL and resource sharing service.
In partnership with The Combined Regions (TCR), OCLC are creating a National Union Catalogue, based on the holdings of UUK members. Information is available on our website here: http://www.oclc.org/uk/en/productworks/ukunioncat.htm . The catalogue has been created using existing WorldCat.org functionality, known as a ‘Group Catalogue’, which allows for a subset of data to be searched separately from the global WorldCat.org contents. However, records do have to be visible in WorldCat.org to allow this to happen. Therefore, since February 2011, UUK member holdings have been searchable in WorldCat.org
An associated WorldCat.org feature is the Registry (http://www.worldcat.org/registry/Institutions/) , which holds details of participating libraries worldwide. The entries for each library can include links to the local catalogue, library homepage, etc. To assist in the creation of the UK National Catalogue OCLC created many of the records relating to member public libraries. Clearly, with such a big task some errors crept in to the data entry process. We have been checking entries as far as possible, but can fall prey to changes in websites addresses and so on. Therefore we have been asking libraries to sign up, and take on responsibility for maintaining their registry entries.
As list subscribers will have seen from our recent press release (http://www.oclc.org/uk/en/news/releases/2011/201118.htm ), and other communications sent out to the user base, the pilot test phase has begun. In addition, as David notes, we have been publicising the National Catalogue at the annual UUK User Group Meetings, which have been running around the UK since the beginning of April. So far we have attended nine meetings, with one more to go next week, plus two online sessions scheduled for 25th and 27th May. By the end of May we will have reached representatives from 139 public library authorities.
The National Catalogue will provide, for the first time in the UK, free public access to the holdings of more than 150 public libraries, as well as national collections including the BL and the RNIB. All contributing libraries will have the opportunity to review and comment on the service before it is publicly launched later this year.
If anyone (UUK member or otherwise ) has any comments or questions then please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best regards
Elisabeth Robinson
Manager – National Catalogue 0114 281 6040
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Received at: 18/05/2011 14:24:30
You may be surprised to know that if you subscribe to Unity, in advance of the national catalogue pilot, book and library data for all Unity subscribers has been uploaded into WorldCat.... without contacting or informing the relevant library authorities. This is particularly true if (like us) you were unable to attend one of the Unity forums held recently.
If you are in this position best check your details as ours had errors all over the place (wrong addresses, catalogue links etc etc). I've given OCLC some feedback regarding this......
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David Tanner
Manager: Stock and Systems
Adult and Community Services (Information)
North Yorkshire County Council
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