OCLC is enhancing the FirstSearch interface for WorldCat to include icons representing document types in WorldCat, and to include information about document subtypes in brief record displays. The new format-specific icons will display on WorldCat search screens with checkboxes for limiting searches by document type, in the brief records in WorldCat results lists to indicate the document types of the retrieved material, and in the full record displays. With highlighted format-level detail, it will be much easier for a researcher to determine the various types of materials available on a specific topic, and to limit searches and search results to specific formats.
Icons will represent the primary formats within WorldCat: Books/Text; Serial Publications; Visual Materials; Computer Files; Sound Recordings; Archival Materials; Musical Scores; and Maps.
The icons that represent subtypes within WorldCat are: DVD/CD, LP, VHS tape, Large print, Cassette tape, Braille, Film, and Microform.
In addition, the "Items on the Internet" limit will be designated with an icon on both search and results screens. This icon has been added to the existing option to limit by Internet resources.
WorldCat search screens will include document type limiters and checkboxes that can be used to limit searches to one or more document types.
Document type icons will display on individual records within results lists. OCLC is also adding labels for document subtypes such as language and audience to WorldCat brief record displays. This subtype information is based on fixed field values within MARC records. Examples of the additional document subtype information are terms such as "dissertation," "spoken recording," "newspaper," "folk music," and "globe."
The additional document type information will also permit users to easily limit search results sets of fewer than 100,000 records by document type through the use of tabs on results screens. Users can click on a tab to limit the results list to records of a single document type. For example, a search for the keywords Wynton Marsalis retrieves 547 records. At the head of the search results, you will now find tabs with the following information: Sound 380; İVisual 126; İBooks 36; İScores 4; İComputer 1. Clicking on a tab will take you to a list of items of that format only, allowing you immediately to look at only books about, or sound recordings by, Marsalis.
OCLC has also added evaluative content to WorldCat records for current popular material. The initial content to be added will include tables of contents, cover art, book summaries, and notes about authors, provided by Ingram Library Services. The Ingram content includes 500,000+ cover images, 250,000+ book summaries and author notes from publisher catalogs, and 76,000+ tables of contents.
To see an example of an enhanced record, search for the book Dynamic Manufacturing: Creating the Learning Organization by Robert Hayes.
Go to the table of contents.
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