Procedures for Searching OCLC for Bibliographic Records

Department: Technical Services

Procedure: Searching OCLC for Bibliographic Records

Rev. 15 January 2015

Purpose: This procedure is used to train and guide student assistants or staff who are totally unfamiliar with OCLC to search OCLC using Connexion Client for bibliographic records.

Overview:

Required Knowledge/Skills: Understand the layout of a book’s title page. For media, understand the preferred sources of information.

Equipment/Supplies: Networked PC with OCLC Connexion client software. Printed version of Connexion Quick Guide.

Procedure
Note: Some of this documentation is taken from the OCLC Connexion Quick Guide. S:\CCLS\TechnicalServices\OCLC\connexionclientquickref http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/support/connexion/documentation/client/cataloging/catquickref/connexionclientquickref.pdf

I. Open the Connexion client and log on

Action

1. Click Windows Start > Programs > OCLC Connexion, or click the client icon on the desktop:

2. Click File > Logon, or click , or press <Ctrl><F1>.

3. Enter your OCLC authorization and password, and click OK or press <Enter>.

Authorization number for student assistants is located at S:\CCLS\TechnicalServices\Login Information\Authorizations

This authorization and password allows only searching.

II. Enter Search

1. If the search window is not on the screen, press <F2>.

2. If you are looking for book records, open the book and look at the title page to determine the fields to search. If you are looking for media records, use the container, but be prepared to do multiple searches. Using the dropdown menus, change one of the search lines to title phrase. This offers one of the best options for searching.

a. If you are confused about the correct title to search, or the title is short or common, you may use alternative searches.
b. A combination of author and title is a good choice.
c. ISBN can be used, but may not be a good choice for older books or non-book formats.

3. Type in the title. Ignore initial articles, including initial articles in foreign languages. Click to launch the search.

4. If the search results yields too many hits, modify the search by adding an author’s name, or a range of dates, or a format, or an ISBN.

5. If you want to search only by ISBN, you may use the quick search on the toolbar. Enter the ISBN without dashes and click the search WorldCat icon to send the search.

III. WorldCat search and browse results

Search: The default display of search results is based on the number of records retrieved (or change the setting):

Number of records: 1
Client displays: Full record.

Number of records: 2 to 5
Client displays: Brief list: Two-line description of each record. Look for DLC in the description

Number of records: 6 to 100
Client displays: Truncated list: One-line description, sorted by data in the index you searched. You can resort the list any field shown by clicking on the column heading. Look for D in the L column to determine which records are DLC.

Number of records: 101 to 1,500
Client displays: Group list: Entries represent groups of records sorted by MARC format and year of publication.

Number of records: Over 1,500
Client displays: Error message: Too many records retrieved. Edit or limit search and try again.

Browse: Browsing produces a list of terms that match or closely match your browse term. The match or closest match is highlighted.

Open a record from a list
To open a record or another list from a results list, double-click an entry, or highlight an entry and press <Enter>.

IV. Match record to item in hand

1. Compare the 245 field in the OCLC to title on the title page or media container.

2. Compare the 250 field to any edition statement on the piece. Edition statements are often on the verso of the title page.

3. Compare the 260 field to publication information. Make sure publication or copyright date match date in the 260 field. Ignore printing dates. Copyright dates may appear in the 264 field on newer records.

4. If there is more than one record that matches the work in hand, choose first the one with DLC anywhere in the 040 field. If there is no DLC record among the matches, choose the one with the most holdings, or the one that requires the least amount of editing.