Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Here is part of the official explanation of this phenomenon from an OCLC
FAQ page at
http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/web/faq/default.htm#general-howlisted
How many WorldCat records are searched through WorldCat.org?
The entire 95 million record WorldCat database is available to be
searched on WorldCat.org. However, search results do not necessarily
return all available matching items, and when a user generates a list of
holdings for an item in a particular geographic area, the listings will
not necessarily display all libraries in the defined region that
actually have the item. This is due to the requirement that
WorldCat-cataloging libraries subscribe to FirstSearch in exchange for
exposure of their holdings on WorldCat.org (and Open WorldCat partner
sites such as Google and Yahoo!).
Search results may not display all matching items in the complete
WorldCat database because some items, while being cataloged in WorldCat,
are not actually held by any of the WorldCat libraries that presently
meet the requirements for Web exposure of holdings. (In addition, some
items cataloged in WorldCat may not be presently held by any WorldCat
libraries at all, regardless of whether they meet the requirement.)
In short, ALL the bibliographic records show up; but only SOME of the
holdings records appear. This requiring the subscription to FirstSearch
in order to show the world that we own an item generates revenue for
OCLC.
Kurt A.T. Bodling
Rare Books Librarian
State Library of Pennsylvania
-----Original Message-----
From: Rare book and manuscripts [mailto:EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]
On Behalf Of John Beekman
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 12:06 PM
To: EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
Subject: Re: [EXLIBRIS-L] OCLC (World Cat)
When I tried to duplicate the search, the record you cite shows no
libraries holding:
http://firstsearch.oclc.org/WebZ/MoreLikeThis?searchtype=morelikethese:s
essionid=fsapp11-45633-f98nf6lm-jab2mk:entitypagenum=59:0
Not sure what you mean by seeing one library holdiong the Darton &
Harvey edition.
As for the larger issue, I believe that not all institutions open their
holdings to worldcat search despite having contributed catalog records
which explains the "no library holding" situation. That and,
unfortunately, deaccessioning.
JWB
-----Original Message-----
From: Rare book and manuscripts
[mailto:EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Norman Kane
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 11:52 AM
To: EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
Subject: [EXLIBRIS-L] OCLC (World Cat)
OCLC (WorldCat) will occasionally list an item as having one location
but the detailed entry does not list any copy, as for instance
http://firstsearch.oclc.org/WebZ/FSFETCH?fetchtype=fullrecord:sessionid=
fsapp11-45633-f98nf6lm-jab2mk:entitypagenum=11:0:recno=22:resultset=4:fo
rmat=FI:next=html/record.html:bad=error/badfetch.html:entitytoprecno=22:
entitycurrecno=22:numrecs=1
Any explanation ? Thanks, Norman