Please note some enhancements coming to OCLC's World Cat. Beverley Shirley, Division Director Library Resource Sharing Texas State Library and Archives Commission (512) 463-5433 FAX (512) 936-2306 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------- OCLC to enhance WorldCat database on OCLC FirstSearch The initial enhancements to WorldCat will include format-specific icons in search and results screens, an expanded language limiter, a tool to identify OCLC symbols for known libraries and the addition of evaluative content to records for some recent publications. FORMAT-SPECIFIC ICONS AND EXPANDED FORMAT LABELS OCLC is enhancing the FirstSearch interface for WorldCat to include icons representing document types in WorldCat, and to include information about document subtypes in brief records displays. The new format-specific icons will display on WorldCat search screens with checkboxes for limiting searches by document type, in the brief records in WorldCat results lists to indicate the document types of the retrieved material, and in the full record displays. By highlighting more format-level detail, the WorldCat database in FirstSearch will increase visibility of the vast amounts of cataloging that has been contributed by OCLC member libraries for more than 30 years. Document-type icons will be added to WorldCat displays for Books, Serial Publications, Visual Materials, Computer Files, Sound Recordings, Archival Materials, Musical Scores and Maps. Icons that represent subtypes within primary document types will be included for DVD/CD, LP, VHS tape, large print, cassette tape, Braille, film and microform. OCLC is also adding labels for document subtypes such as language and audience to WorldCat brief record displays. This information is based on fixed field values within MARC records in WorldCat. Examples of this additional document subtype information are terms such as "dissertation," "spoken recording," "newspaper," "folk music," and "globe." The additional document type information will also permit users to easily limit search results sets of fewer than 100,000 records by document type through the use of tabs on results screens Expanded language limiter In response to user requests, OCLC will add the capability to expand the list of languages available for use in limiting WorldCat searches from the current list of the 30 most common in WorldCat to the approximately 400 languages represented in the database. LINK TO OCLC PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS RESOURCE OCLC will add a link to WorldCat search screens to enable users to identify OCLC codes of libraries to which they wish to limit searches. A "Find codes" link next to the Limit by Library Code search box on the Advanced and Expert search screens will open a window that will display the OCLC Participating Institutions Search screen from which individual library information can be located. EVALUATIVE CONTENT OCLC will add evaluative content to WorldCat records for current popular material. The initial content to be added will include tables of contents, cover art, book summaries, and notes about authors, provided by Ingram Library Services. The Ingram content includes 500,000+ cover images, 250,000+ book summaries and author notes from publisher catalogs and 76,000+ tables of contents. All of the WorldCat enhancements described in this message will display automatically to users of WorldCat on the FirstSearch Web interface OCLC will soon add previews of these new screen displays to the OCLC Web site. Watch this list for the URL of the new screen displays. ----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Include in body: unsubscribe ctls-l For information on CTLS-L please visit: http://www.ctls.net/document/ctls-l.htm
