Hi all,

 

Just sharing a concern of mine that goes way back having to do with holdings listed on worlcat.org. Current OCLC policy does not allow a library to have all its holdings listed on worldcat.org unless you are a subscriber to WorldCat Discovery of Firstsearch (I believe that’s right). For small-ish libraries like ours, a subscription is expensive, around $2,500. I believe it’s a great disservice to our patrons and libraries. Many specialized libraries like ours offer many unique holdings, and, ironically, current OCLC policy allows a record to display with no holding libraries listed (see attached screenshot).

 

One OCLC representative wrote back when I addressed this concern, “I understand you do not agree with the policy, but the Cataloging and FirstSearch subscriptions are how we fund those services (along with WorldCat.org).  We try to keep them affordable for the majority, while covering our costs, but it still does not work for everyone.”

 

Here’s a great example. Keep in mind that if you’re associated with a university library, you’ll probably see holdings. The problem is with cases where a patron is searching at the local Starbucks down the street, for example, or at home.

 

https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1123217295

 

I totally understand that there is a price tag associated with making worldcat.org available, but it’s an egregious levy for a library to pay to have its holdings masked and totally antithetical to what OCLC is supposed to be doing for libraries (IMHO). When I have suggested a more equitable pricing structure, there has been no interest in investigating it.

 

Thanks for your feedback. More than anything, I need a reality check from my colleagues.

 

Sam

 

 

 

Samuel Duncan | Head of the Research Library

Amon Carter Museum of American Art
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107
[log in to unmask] | 817.989.5042
cartermuseum.org

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