Now Available - Add reviews, notes and more to WorldCat records

Users of OCLC’s WorldCat database may now add reviews, notes and tables of contents to WorldCat records through a new option that facilitates sharing among library users worldwide. The user contribution option in the WorldCat and WorldCat-related databases on the OCLC FirstSearch service extends a pilot begun in late 2005 to enable contribution of content to WorldCat records in the Find in a Library interface of the Open WorldCat program. 

User-contributed content helps extend the OCLC cooperative to include record-enhancing information from non-cataloging library professionals as well as library users. For example, family members may add notes to records for genealogical materials about their families, or community members may comment on historical photographs or documents from digital collections about their communities that reside in the WorldCat database.

Content such as notes and tables of contents may be expanded or edited by other members of the viewing community.  Personal reviews are visible to all WorldCat users, but may not be edited except by the original reviewer.

A new tab labeled “Add/View Comments” in the full record display contains notes, reviews and tables of content that have been contributed by WorldCat users.  Upon release of this new option within the FirstSearch service, all content contributed through the Find in a Library interface will be visible.  Content added through both Find in a Library and FirstSearch will be visible in all public views of the WorldCat database.

Users can immediately contribute content after registering a personal account. Their account allows them to return to the interface at any time, log in and create or revise content. Guidelines for content contributions are provided, and OCLC monitors all submissions. User-contributed content is associated with a WorldCat record, but is maintained separately and does not become part of the record's authoritative bibliographic information.

WorldCat-related databases available through the FirstSearch service that also include the new user-contributed content are Ebooks (Electronic Books), WorldCat Dissertations and Theses and all custom-built group catalogs.

Now that users have the ability to add content to WorldCat-related databases, the base functionality is in place to build on. We are interested in hearing your suggestions and encourage you to contact us via the Comments link in FirstSearch or the Feedback link in OpenWorldCat. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing the content you add to WorldCat!

 
Questions? Consult the online help or contact your regional service provider ( http://www.oclc.org/contacts/regional/ ) or OCLC Customer Support (1-800-848-5800 or [log in to unmask]).