<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Saturday, November 20, 2004  

Integrating Library Records Into Search Engines
http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/nov04/oNeill.shtml

Imagine how many more people would use and appreciate libraries, if Google and Yahoo included local library records in their search results. OCLC's Open WorldCat Pilot (http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/pilot/) integrates library records into popular Internet search sites, and tests the effectiveness of the Web in guiding users to library-owned materials. WorldCat records began appearing in Google search results in December 2003 and in Yahoo Search results in May 2004. Results have been impressive. Inbound links from Open WorldCat search results have grown to more than 1 million in the first half of June 2004. There are several ways of searching Open WorldCat items in Google and Yahoo. The most intuitive is using the phrase "find in a library" plus the item or subject to be searched: e.g., find in a library: da vinci code. Alternatively, you can search using the phrase "worldcat libraries" and the title or subject. (Additional search tips are listed at the link below.) Approximately 12,000 libraries already participate in the WorldCat Pilot project, including the academic, public and school libraries originally included automatically, plus state, federal and special libraries that have asked to join. Enabling Web users to locate materials they need quickly and easily in libraries near them should promote library use and reinforce their value. Ultimately, even people who don't often use libraries may come to consider libraries as a first source of information.

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:00 AM
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