Why are there more libraries listed in WorldCat as holding my book than there should be?
Applies to
- WorldCat.org
Answer
It is each OCLC member library's responsibility to keep its WorldCat holdings up to date.
OCLC has a system called the WorldCat knowledge base. It is one of the ways libraries can add their holdings to items in WorldCat, especially electronic items. The purpose of the knowledge base is to reduce the library's need for record-at-a-time holdings management and provide collection-level capabilities. This system allows libraries to add their holdings in batch to either an entire database of eBook titles or a package of titles they have access to via an eBook vendor.
Mistakes happen, and libraries might not realize they've selected the entire collection erroneously, putting WorldCat holdings on titles they don't actually have access to. This is a very common thing we see in OCLC Support. Libraries will often ask us why their WorldCat holdings appear for a title they don't actually own, and it's because they accidentally selected an entire eBook collection (for example) instead of just the eBooks they have paid to access from the vendor.
Ultimately, it comes down to the library's responsibility to ensure that it accurately represents its holdings in WorldCat. The other thing you might do is check with your eBook vendors if you have questions about how the eBook is represented and distributed there.