Status Line

• Reference Services
• Sept. 07
• Issue: 215

Institution Records Available in FirstSearch

As part of the joining together of RLG and OCLC, OCLC has added an “Institution Records” option to the FirstSearch reference and WorldCat Resource Sharing services. This feature only appears in the WorldCat, Ebooks, and WorldCat Dissertations and group catalogs databases. It is an optional feature that can only be activated if your library chooses to in the FirstSearch Administrative Module (see next page).

The Institution Records option provides a similar experience to the RLIN21 service’s use of cluster records, which grouped individual libraries’ cataloged records for the same item together. In RLIN21 one of these local cataloged records was used as the “Primary Record,” to be displayed first for a cluster, with a list of additional records also provided. In a similar fashion, OCLC is using the WorldCat record as the “Primary Record,” and providing a link to additional institution records.

The Institution Records function provides the bibliographic records of specific libraries as the records were entered and include local library notes and location information. This information can be valuable to researchers, especially when dealing with rare items.

Institution Records are accessed from the WorldCat detailed record at More Records: Show record information.

Clicking the Show record information link allows the user to see the institutions that have additional local records:

There are three choices available with differing levels of access to Institution Records. The different levels are set up for each authorization’s access in the FirstSearch Administrative Module and affect all Institution Records in WorldCat and WorldCat-derived databases, such as any group catalog, Ebooks, or WorldCat Dissertations. The choices are:

• Do not Search or Display. The default setting.
• Display only. Allows a “More Records” link to appear when institution records are available for a regular bibliographic record. Clicking the link will show what institution records are available for display.
• Search and Display. This option not only displays records, but the search results include the same indexed fields within the Institution Records. A record may appear in the results without the search term appearing in the regular bibliographic record display if the indexed word is found within at least one of the Institution Records attached.

To set up the Institution Records option:

• Access the FirstSearch Administrative Module at .
• Click the Interface Display tab.
• Click Search Settings.

Additional information about the “Institution Records” option is available in this PDF: http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/firstsearch/using/UsingInstitutionRecords/FS_Institution_Records_quick_ref.pdf.

(See also “Institution Records (IRs) Now Available to Non-RLG Libraries” in the Collections and Technical Services section.)

OCLC Reference and FirstSearch Contact Information

For more information about OCLC FirstSearch, please contact Nylink’s Joyce Rambo (ramboj@nylink.org) or Jennifer Hawkes (hawkesj@nylink.org).