The National Library of New Zealand will add some 8 million records and the holdings of 275 libraries to WorldCat, the world's richest database and resource for discovery of materials held in libraries around the globe. As a result, records of items held in New Zealand libraries will be visible to Web searchers worldwide through the OCLC WorldCat.org service, or through popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo!
"It's about taking New Zealand information to the world, and bringing the world's information to New Zealanders," said Penny Carnaby, the Chief Executive of the National Library of New Zealand.
Beginning July 1, all libraries in New Zealand will have access to the WorldCat database to catalog their library materials and will become Governing Members of OCLC, the world's largest library cooperative. Governing Members benefit from voting representation on the OCLC Members Council.
The National Library of New Zealand will enrich WorldCat with knowledge and information representing a vital and culturally diverse part of the world. As part of WorldCat, the information from those libraries will be visible to Web searchers everywhere – whether they're searching from Wellington or Washington.
The WorldCat database continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, with many of the records entered into the world's largest bibliographic resource coming from outside the United States. In the past several years, OCLC has added international files from the National Library of Germany's bibliography, Dutch Union Catalogue, LinkUK, Toronto Public Library, University of Manitoba, University of Gottingen, National Library of Education in Denmark, the National Union Catalog of Poland, and more. OCLC expects to process more than 38 million records from outside the United States in 2007.
About the National Library of New Zealand
The unique role of the National Library of New Zealand is to collect and maintain literature and information resources that relate to New Zealand and the Pacific, make this information readily available and preserve New Zealand's documentary heritage for generations to come. The National Library holds rich and varied collections of research material and includes the Alexander Turnbull Library – a storehouse of words, pictures and sounds that tell us about the activities of people in New Zealand and the Pacific.
For more information, please contact OCLC PICA Communications by e-mail or by telephone at +31-(0)71-524 65 00.
