Union catalog in the context of "Library catalog"

⭐ In the context of library catalogs, a union catalog is distinguished from a standard library catalog by its representation of…

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⭐ Core Definition: Union catalog

A union catalog is a combined library catalog describing the collections of a number of libraries. Union catalogs have been created in a range of media, including book format, microform, cards and more recently, networked electronic databases. Print union catalogs are typically arranged by title, author or subject (often employing a controlled vocabulary); electronic versions typically support keyword and Boolean queries. Union catalogs are useful to librarians, as they assist in locating and requesting materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan service. They also allow researchers to search through collections to which they would not otherwise have access, such as manuscript collections.

The largest union catalog ever printed is the American National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints (NUC), completed in 1981. This achievement has since been superseded by the creation of union catalogs in the form of electronic databases, of which the largest is OCLC's WorldCat. Other examples include K10plus in Germany, Library Hub Discover (formerly COPAC) provided by Research Libraries UK and AMICUS, provided by Library and Archives Canada.

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👉 Union catalog in the context of Library catalog

A library catalog (or library catalogue in British English) is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A catalog for a group of libraries is also called a union catalog. A bibliographic item can be any information entity (e.g., books, computer files, graphics, realia, cartographic materials, etc.) that is considered library material (e.g., a single novel in an anthology), or a group of library materials (e.g., a trilogy), or linked from the catalog (e.g., a webpage) as far as it is relevant to the catalog and to the users (patrons) of the library.

The earliest library catalogs were lists, handwritten or enscribed on clay tablets and later scrolls of parchment or paper. As codices (books with pages) replaced scrolls, so too did library catalogs become like handwritten ledgers and, in some cases, printed books. During the late 18th century through mid-19th century, cataloguing on paper slips or cards gradually replaced ledgers and books as the main medium for library catalogs, and in the 20th it was long ubiquitous. The card catalog was a familiar sight to library users for generations. Computerized cataloguing developed gradually from the mid-20th, and by the late 20th and early 21st, it had mostly replaced card catalogs. The advent of the web brought about ubiquitous use of online public access catalogs (OPACs). Some people still informally refer to the online catalog as a "card catalog".

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Union catalog in the context of WorldCat

WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCLC member libraries collectively maintain WorldCat's database, the world's largest bibliographic database. The database includes other information sources in addition to member library collections. OCLC makes WorldCat itself available free to libraries, but the catalog is the foundation for other subscription OCLC services (such as resource sharing and collection management). WorldCat is used by librarians for cataloging and research and by the general public.

As of December 2021, WorldCat contained over 540 million bibliographic records in 483 languages, representing over 3 billion physical and digital library assets, and the WorldCat persons dataset (mined from WorldCat) included over 100 million people.

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Union catalog in the context of K10plus

K10plus is the union catalog of the German library networks GBV (Common Library Network) and SWB (Southwest German Library Network). It combines the catalogs of the majority of academic libraries in Germany.

K10plus combines the former union catalogs of GBV and SWB covering 10 of 16 states of Germany, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and other research institutions such as those of Leibniz Association, Helmholtz Association and Max Planck Society. As of March 2023, K10plus contained around 80 million bibliographic records, representing over 200 million physical and digital library assets from more than 1000 libraries. Large parts of K10plus are exported regularly into WorldCat and make up roughly 10% of it.

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Union catalog in the context of Library Hub Discover

Library Hub Discover is a union catalogue operated by Jisc (jisc.ac.uk). It replaces Copac and SUNCAT. Its user interface is centred around a simple search engine-like query box.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Library catalog ← Library cataloguing ← Card catalog ← WorldCat ← K10plus ← Library Hub Discover
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Library catalog → Library → Book → Microform → Card catalog → Databases → Controlled vocabulary → Boolean logic → Librarian → Interlibrary loan → Manuscript → National Union Catalog → OCLC → WorldCat → K10plus → Library Hub Discover → COPAC → Research Libraries UK → Library and Archives Canada →