Searching OCLC Connexion

Instead of each library having to create a brand new record for each book they acquire (known as Original Cataloging), they can use an existing record that has already been created from another institution if it is part of an organization that shares bibliographic resources, such as OCLC Connexion (known as Copy Cataloging). 

Our cataloging department is currently partnered with OCLC and participates in this exchange of information. As part of this participation, we catalog and copy catalog materials by creating new records and putting them in the shared database or importing existing records from the database into our library’s database called Sierra. Once imported into Sierra, these records become part of our electronic library catalog and are searchable by patrons.

Searching for a record for each individual book in the OCLC database is the first step of the cataloging process. 

Basic Searching

There are multiple ways to conduct searches for bibliographic records in OCLC (WorldCat). 

Click the search icon, use the menu bar, or use function keys to initiate a search.

Cataloging >> Search >> WorldCat                           OR                                   F2   

Open

This will bring up the Search WorldCat Screen. 

Open

Enter your query into the field corresponding with the type of search you are conducting.  Drop down menus allow you to customize the field type you want to search.  To expand or reduce the possible search field options, click on the – or + button above the drop down menus.

Scan the ISBN, enter the title or other information needed to conduct search.  Then key Enter or click OK.  

This will bring up a list of records that match the information entered.  If there is only one record in the database, only the full record will display. 

If faced with a long list of records, it is possible to more easily identify the correct record through sorting.  To do so, click on any of the headers (Main Entry, Title, Publisher, Date, etc.) to sort by the information in that column.

To identify the correct record, make sure the Title, Author, Publisher, and Date information all match the book in hand.  If there are still multiple records that match this information, choose from among those possibilities, by the following criteria:

1. Look for “D” (or DLC) in the L column.  DLC records are those created by the Library of Congress, thus they are preferred.  

2. If no or multiple DLC records are available, choose the record with the most holdings. To see holdings, double click on a record to open it. Then you will see this

Be sure that we do not already own the item in question.  This can be determined by whether or not there you see “Held” in the corresponding column in the search results list or after opening a records you will see “No holdings in UUS” or “Holdings at UUS” at the top of the page.

Once an appropriate record is identified:

1. Proceed with the copy cataloging process making the necessary changes

2. (Optional) Print the record – from the menu bar select:  File >> Print   OR    Key   Ctrl+P (fold the printout and place it in the book – for quality control purposes)

Some considerations when searching:

1. The OCLC search interface uses Boolean logic – so  particularly when title searching, words such as : “near,” “with,” “and,” “or,” “not,” etc. may skew retrieval results.  Try leaving these words out of the search

2. Too much information in the initial search can limit results too severely.  It is usually best to put in the most pertinent information and leave out any extra information out of the initial search.  For instance, when searching for a book published by the MIT Press, it is best to simply enter “MIT” into the Publisher search field rather than “MIT Press,” since many records might only list “MIT” rather than “MIT Press” as the publisher.  Dates may also abnormally skew the results.

Advanced Searching

• Boolean Operators

• Wildcards, truncation, plurals

• Qualifiers (derived and keyword searching)

  • You can qualify searches by:

    • Type of material (format) (mt:)

    • Year(s) of publication (yr:)

    • Microform or not microform (mf:)

    • Cataloging source (Library of Congress) (dl:)

    • Internet/non-Internet (dt:)

    • Language (la:)

• Qualifier Formulation:

  • Command line: Add the qualifier index label + : + qualifier to end of the search command.

  • Keyword/Numeric Search Area: Use the drop down menus at the bottom of search window.

Advanced Searching in WorldCat

Click the search icon – use the menu bar – or use function keys to initiate a search.

Cataloging >> Search >> WorldCat                           OR                                   F2   

Within the search window there are 2 ways to formulate searches.

• Command line: Command line searches usually do not require index labels, or qualifiers, to be effective, especially when searching by ISBN.  But, if needed you can use index labels along with search terms, index labels are listed in parentheses in the search window drop down menus.

• Keyword/Numeric Search: Use drop down menus to specify the indexes or search types.

I. Search Methods

      B.  Numeric searches

     C.  Keyword searches

     D.  Phrase Searching

     E.  Whole Phrase Searching 

II. Search Result Display

     A.  Default Display

      B.  Custom Display

III. Browse Searches

IV. Saving Records

Examples of WorldCat Searches:

• Derived Searches

• Numeric Searches

• Keyword Searches

• Title Phrase Searches

• Title Whole Phrase Searches

• Browse Searches

OCLC Resources on Searching in the Connexion Client:

• Cataloging Quick Reference Guide: https://www.oclc.org/.../catquickref/connexionclientquickref.pdf

• Searching WorldCat Indexes: http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/worldcat/searching/searchworldcatindexes/ )

•  OCLC Searching WorldCat Browser Tutorials: http://oclc.org/support/training/portfolios/cataloging-and-metadata/connexion-browser.en.html

•  OCLC Searching WorldCat Cataloging: http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/support/connexion/documentation/client/cataloging/searchworldcat/searchworldcat.pdf

Searching Authorities:

OCLC Searching Authorities Tutorial: http://oclc.org/support/training/portfolios/cataloging-and-metadata/connexion-client/tutorials/search-auth-file.en.html

Authority Searching in Connexion Client

Authority Searching in Connexion is almost identical to searching WorldCat.  The only differences are

• Authority searches and browses have their own windows (see below)

• Phrase searching can only be performed as a browse/scan search.  Also, these searches use a colon : not = between the index label and search term. 

• Can perform expanded search term scans (see below)

• The authority file can be searched via keyword.

• Searches require a colon : between the index label and the search terms.

Searching Authorities

• From the “Authorities” menu, select “Search” then “LC Names and Subjects”

• Click on the search authorities icon, or

• Key Shift + F2

Browsing Authorities

• From the “Authorities” menu, select “Browse” then “LC Names and Subjects”

• Click on  icon, or

• Key Alt + F2