The WorldCat Registry is a Web-based directory for libraries and library consortia. The Registry is designed to save you time by serving as a single distribution point of information that defines your institutional identity, including services, relationships and contacts.
You no longer have to use different interfaces and methods to communicate this key data to other libraries, vendors, funding agencies and additional third parties. Instead of a tangle of faxed paper forms, phone calls and Web sites, you maintain one profile in one place and share it with the people who need access to its information.
You may have a profile already—check for it now!
The Registry is open to all libraries and consortia inside and outside the OCLC cooperative. OCLC has automatically created WorldCat Registry profiles for many institutions, including its member libraries, and pre-populated those profiles with existing data.
If you haven't yet, visit the WorldCat Registry home page and search the Registry for an auto-generated profile for your library. You can create a user account online or log in with your user account for the OCLC Online Service Center or WorldCat Services (FirstSearch) and begin updating and adding information to your profile's various screens (below).
Why it's important
OCLC member libraries' WorldCat Registry profiles will be relied upon more and more as OCLC consolidates the collection of many types of data in the Registry. OCLC will also automatically transfer applicable profile information such as OPAC URL, OpenURL Server location or your library's Web site address into WorldCat.org. All libraries will benefit as profile information is syndicated across the Web sites where information seekers start to search, including WorldCat.org. So make a note to keep your profile current!
Learn more about WorldCat Registry >>
OCLC MEMBERS: A note about maintaining IP address data
If you currently maintain an IP address setting for your institution in the FirstSearch Administrative Module and/or other OCLC applications, for the moment you should continue to maintain the setting in those interfaces. IP address information stored in a WorldCat Registry profile is, temporarily, provided only for the informational purposes of parties with whom you share your profile. OCLC will be applying data from the IP address portion of your Registry profile to other OCLC applications at a later date.
