As the world’s largest bibliographic database, OCLC’s WorldCat is well known for its uses in cataloging and interlibrary loans. Less well known is its usefulness and versatility in making day-to-day decisions about collection development. The FirstSearch interface, available throughout Kentucky, is a user-friendly and useful interface for identifying relevant materials for a library’s collection. The prepublication records are helpful as an “early warning” for new publications. Other uses include the identification of state- and subject-specific materials. Also, the links and holdings records can help evaluate appropriateness for particular types of libraries and identify materials of interest. Furthermore, the inclusion of non-traditional features, such as color graphics and links to non-library databases, will expand the future usefulness of WorldCat.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/carol_watwood/2/
This article first appeared in Kentucky Libraries, v.68, no.3 (Summer 2004).