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Information Studies 603: Incunabula Project Guide: Part 2: Search@UW and WorldCat

Part 2: Bibliographic Tools: Search@UW and WorldCat

To get started on your project, you should start by searching for your items first through the Search@UW and then through WorldCat before searching in the ISTC. This is the established workflow that will be most efficient and informative for you to complete your assignment. 

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Tips and Tricks with Search@UW

WorldCat

Important Information:

WorldCat.org is a universally accessible database but UWM subscribes to WorldCat Discovery as a cataloging tool. Utilizing our institution's login opens up more in-depth search tools. Be sure you navigate to WorldCat by navigating to the UWM Libraries home page and then opening the "Search & Find" drop down menu and selecting the WorldCat option. You should not click the link that states, "This Item in WorldCat" that often appears at the bottom of a bibliographic record in Search@UW nor should you type WorldCat.org in the address bar of your web browser. These latter two options will limit you to the universally accessible version of WorldCat.

Tips and Tricks for WorldCat

Why Learn to Search WorldCat?

What are the real world applications of mastering WorldCat?

Often, when you look for an item in WorldCat you will find multiple records that are in fact identifying the same item. You will also find that each record identifies multiple holding institutions. So, what's going on?

  • Multiple records are created when holding institutions each submit their own record to WorldCat. There are many reasons institutions might do this. For example, an institution might find an existing record that matches their item but create their own to suit the language needs of their institution or because they prefer a more detailed record. There are any number of reasons why institutions may utilize their own record.  
  • Holdings within a record are created when an institution locates an already existing record that matches their item and does utilizes that record instead of creating a new one. 

Proficiency in WorldCat searching allows librarians to learn about the publication history of titles as well as the volume, condition, and locations of items. You can use WorldCat to determine how common or rare an item is and to determine who else holds the item. This information might affect collection management decisions such as acquisitions, weeding, and preservation needs.