ALA Members

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Has anyone tried looking at search results in this monstrosity? It is pretty but, Not As Efficient when one wishes to view and compare multiple records from various institutions. Why did they "fix" something that was not broken?

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the new WorldCat.org. We appreciate it. We are tracking all feedback and will take it into consideration as we enhance the site moving forward. We invite you to share your impressions at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input or join us at an upcoming webinar.

 To address a couple of items that we have heard from library staff here and in other discussion groups:

 Why the redesign?org has been available to the public since 2006 and the site has undergone minimal design changes since then. There were important fundamental updates related to mobile-ready and accessibility issues and we also wanted to reach a larger audience of people who may not currently think of libraries as a place to discover information on the web. More information about the redesign can be found on oclc.org.

• Why didn't I know? We've taken many steps to both include library staff in our process and to communicate a change was coming. Starting at the end of March, we made the new site available to all libraries who were already on WorldCat.org and asked them to use the site and provide feedback. We also held several webinars where we discussed the new site design and held live demonstrations at PLA and ALA, all with positive feedback. And since mid-July, the WorldCat.org interface displayed a message that a new WorldCat.org site was coming.
• Did OCLC take libraries away? There are some questions around which libraries are visible on the site. Historically, WorldCat.org has only included libraries who had both a cataloging and a FirstSearch/WorldCat Discovery subscription. As part of the new design, we added all libraries that have a cataloging subscription only to the "All libraries" tab to let people know that they can find those items at the listed libraries. We also added new subscription options that make our web visibility program available to more libraries.

We know that when a favorite site or tool changes, it takes time to adjust. We appreciate everyone who provided input along the way as we finalized the new site. And we value ongoing input. Please feel free to share your ideas with us directly at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input.

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the new WorldCat.org. We appreciate it. We are tracking all feedback and will take it into consideration as we enhance the site moving forward. We invite you to share your impressions at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input or join us at an upcoming webinar.

 To address a couple of items that we have heard from library staff here and in other discussion groups:

 Why the redesign?org has been available to the public since 2006 and the site has undergone minimal design changes since then. There were important fundamental updates related to mobile-ready and accessibility issues and we also wanted to reach a larger audience of people who may not currently think of libraries as a place to discover information on the web. More information about the redesign can be found on oclc.org.

• Why didn't I know? We've taken many steps to both include library staff in our process and to communicate a change was coming. Starting at the end of March, we made the new site available to all libraries who were already on WorldCat.org and asked them to use the site and provide feedback. We also held several webinars where we discussed the new site design and held live demonstrations at PLA and ALA, all with positive feedback. And since mid-July, the WorldCat.org interface displayed a message that a new WorldCat.org site was coming.
• Did OCLC take libraries away? There are some questions around which libraries are visible on the site. Historically, WorldCat.org has only included libraries who had both a cataloging and a FirstSearch/WorldCat Discovery subscription. As part of the new design, we added all libraries that have a cataloging subscription only to the "All libraries" tab to let people know that they can find those items at the listed libraries. We also added new subscription options that make our web visibility program available to more libraries.

We know that when a favorite site or tool changes, it takes time to adjust. We appreciate everyone who provided input along the way as we finalized the new site. And we value ongoing input. Please feel free to share your ideas with us directly at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input.

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the new WorldCat.org. We appreciate it. We are tracking all feedback and will take it into consideration as we enhance the site moving forward. We invite you to share your impressions at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input or join us at an upcoming webinar.

 To address a couple of items that we have heard from library staff here and in other discussion groups:

 Why the redesign?org has been available to the public since 2006 and the site has undergone minimal design changes since then. There were important fundamental updates related to mobile-ready and accessibility issues and we also wanted to reach a larger audience of people who may not currently think of libraries as a place to discover information on the web. More information about the redesign can be found on oclc.org.

• Why didn't I know? We've taken many steps to both include library staff in our process and to communicate a change was coming. Starting at the end of March, we made the new site available to all libraries who were already on WorldCat.org and asked them to use the site and provide feedback. We also held several webinars where we discussed the new site design and held live demonstrations at PLA and ALA, all with positive feedback. And since mid-July, the WorldCat.org interface displayed a message that a new WorldCat.org site was coming.
• Did OCLC take libraries away? There are some questions around which libraries are visible on the site. Historically, WorldCat.org has only included libraries who had both a cataloging and a FirstSearch/WorldCat Discovery subscription. As part of the new design, we added all libraries that have a cataloging subscription only to the "All libraries" tab to let people know that they can find those items at the listed libraries. We also added new subscription options that make our web visibility program available to more libraries.

We know that when a favorite site or tool changes, it takes time to adjust. We appreciate everyone who provided input along the way as we finalized the new site. And we value ongoing input. Please feel free to share your ideas with us directly at oc.lc/new-worldcat-org-input.

Good morning! Please forgive cross-posting. Worldcat has had a banner announcing their pending website redesign for weeks, and I looked forward to seeing what they'd come up with. After logging in and transferring my lists and favorites, I was disheartened to discover that of 10, only 4 of my favorite libraries were listed. My own system, Miami-Dade County Public Library (the 7th largest in the nation according to recent data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey) does not appear in search results any longer.

This is particularly dismaying because several websites patrons use to discover books, including Goodreads, link directly to WorldCat as a link that says "Libraries". If we cannot be found there, the public could think we simply do not have the item they want.

When you click on the "For Librarians" tab on WorldCat and then the "web visibility program" link, you will the following graphic:
This change from a free listing of library collections to an apparent pay-for-play model will cause many systems like mine to be bypassed when their patrons are looking for items online unless they go directly to our website. Unfortunately, this discourages the organic discovery of books through "partner" websites, like the aforementioned GoodReads, and Wikipedia. I would love to hear the thoughts of others about this issue: has anyone gotten pricing for their own system? Do you believe it to be worth the money? Isn't this TERRIBLE? lol

Thank you for time. --Shaunterria Owens, Youth Services Specialist, Miami-Dade Public Library