[Summary]
In August 2006, WorldCat, a union catalog run by OCLC (Online Computer
Library Center), began migrating to the web with a version available
for free. OCLC was founded as early as 1971 as a non-profit
organization dedicated to furthering access to the world's information
while reducing information costs. In 2005, WorldCat had 61 million
bibliographic records in 400 languages, provided by 9,000 member
libraries in 112 countries. In 2006, 73 million bibliographic records
were linking to one billion documents available in these libraries.
Through the current worldcat.org, member libraries have provided free
access to their catalogs, and free or paid access to their electronic
resources: books, audiobooks, abstracts and full-text articles, photos,
music CDs, and videos. In April 2010, 1,5 billion documents could be
located and/or accessed using WorldCat. The other main union catalog
was run by RLG (Research Librairies Group), that merged with OCLC in
November 2006.
***
In August 2006, WorldCat, a union catalog run by OCLC (Online Computer
Library Center), began migrating to the web with a version available
for free.
WorldCat followed the steps of RLG (Research Libraries Group), that
launched the free web version of the RLG Union Catalog, called
RedLightGreen, in fall 2003, with a full version available in spring
2004.
OCLC and RLG were running the two largest union catalogs in the world.
What exactly is a union catalog? The idea behind a union catalog is to
earn time by avoiding the cataloging of the same document by many
catalogers worldwide. When catalogers of a member library (paid
subscription) process a new document, they first search the union
catalog. If the record is available, they import it into their own
catalog and add the local data. If the record is not available, they
create it in their own catalog and export it into the union catalog,
for the new record to be instantly available to all catalogers of
member libraries. Depending on their status and experience, member
libraries can either import records only, or both import and export
records.
OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) was created in 1971 as a non-
profit organization dedicated to furthering access to the world's
information while reducing information costs. The OCLC Online Union
Catalog, later renamed WorldCat, was first the union catalog of the
university libraries in the State of Ohio, before becoming a national
library cooperative and then an organization spreading worldwide, with
WorldCat becoming one of the two largest union catalogs in the world
(the other one being RLIN). In early 1998, WorldCat had 38 million
records in 400 languages, and 27,000 member libraries in 65 countries,
with 2 million records added annually.
WorldCat only accepted one bibliographic record per document, unlike
RLIN, launched by RLG in 1980, that accepted several records per
document, with 88 million records in early 1998. RLG members were
mainly research and specialized libraries. RLIN was later renamed the
RLG Union Catalog. Its free web version RedLightGreen was launched in
fall 2003 as a beta version, and in spring 2004 as a full version.
In the meantime, WorldCat had 61 million bibliographic records in 400
languages in 2005, from 9,000 member libraries in 112 countries. In
2006, 73 million bibliographic records were linking to one billion
documents available in these libraries.
In August 2006, WorldCat began migrating to the web with the beta
version of its new website worldcat.org. Member libraries have provided
free access to their catalogs, and free or paid access to their
electronic resources: books, audiobooks, abstracts and full-text
articles, photos, music CDs and videos. RedLightGreen closed its site
in November 2006, and RLG merged with OCLC. In April 2010, 1,5 billion
documents could be located and/or accessed using WorldCat.