WorldCat Discovery Services

In 2016, the joint MLA-MOUG OCLC Search and Discovery Task Force (S&DTF) published their report containing specific recommendations for WorldCat Discovery.

OCLC uses the OCLC Community Center as a primary place to gather recommendations from the community for WorldCat Discovery and other OCLC products. Once an enhancement is suggested in the Community Center, all community members can add comments and a star rating.

MOUG’s Reference, Discovery, and Collection Committee has now posted the S&DTF’s Major/Critical Recommendations and top priority general recommendations (found on p. 13-14 of the S&DTF report) as enhancement suggestions in the Community Center. (Some recommendations were combined, updated, and/or added to existing enhancement suggestions.) These enhancement requests are already gathering input in the Community Center and we encourage you to add your own comments, examples, and ratings to the enhancement requests. Actual real-life examples of problems caused are especially useful.

The enhancement requests are pasted below. OCLC Community Center login required. See OCLC Community Center instructions.

OCLC Search & Discovery Task Force Recommendations posted as enhancement requests – must be logged into OCLC Community Center to view and add comments

Display subfields $b, $c, $d, $k and $q in name headings, to allow for identification and differentiation of names. Added to existing enhancement request Make the name search link in the search results screen just below the titles (preceded with the word “by” a true “Name” (authority) search

When fields 700, 710, or 711 contain subfield $t, display all title-related subfields (currently $t, $k, $l, $m, $n, $o, $p, $r, $s), together with the name (all name-related subfields).

Display 245 subfields together; alternatively, identify 245 subfield $c as responsibility instead of names from 1xx/7xx (feature present in FirstSearch). Added to existing enhancement request Displaying tag 245 subfield c.

Display all instances of the 028 field when present.

For linked searches generated from displayed controlled names, search on all name subfields within the field as a single phrase to link to the correct entity. Combined with display recommendation.

When 7xx fields with subfield $t are present, display those fields as hyperlinks to searches on the name-title heading

When a 240 field is present, display 240 combined with a repeated display of the 1xx, and hyperlink the resulting string to search on the name-title heading.

Change the facet option for “music” to “music recording.”

When 7xx fields with subfield $t have second indicator blank, display with the label, “Related Works:”. Combined with “Contains” recommendation.

When 7xx fields with subfield $t have second indicator 2, display with the label, “Contains:”

Display all instances of the 546 field.

Display all instances of the 264 field and use second indicator to generate the appropriate label. Added to existing enhancement request Publication field in the Description*.

Utilize additional coded Material Types to generate additional icons and to return search when facet option is selected. (Title in Community Center: “Add additional subfacets & icons to the Music (i.e. music recording) and video recording facets/icons for historic formats”)

Treat search strings entered in separate lines of the Advanced Search as if there are parentheses around the set of all terms entered within a single search box.

OCLC COMMUNITY CENTER INSTRUCTIONS:
Go to: https://www.oclc.org/community/home.en.html

Click “sign in” and follow the instructions. The main thing you need is an OCLC authorization (100-xxx-xxx) and password. (These are the same credentials used to logon to Connexion and other OCLC services.)

The OCLC Community Center is “where you can: Connect with community peers; Collaborate, ask questions and gain insight; Contribute and share ideas to improve products; Stay on top of and discuss OCLC announcements.”

For assistance creating your account, contact the OCLC Order Services department at orders@oclc.org