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OCLC Support

WorldCat Discovery release notes, September 2021

 

Release Date: September 27, 2021

Introduction

This release of WorldCat Discovery provides a number of new features and enhancements to the modernized WorldCat Discovery interface. These features will help you manage more complex workflows, including:

  • Updated greeting for the sign-in prompt 
  • Resolves Group Related Editions issues with the Search Box Generator
  • Call numbers will display in Search Results
  • Authentication prompt for remote databases now points to an instutition's configuration in custom links 
  • reCAPTCHA puzzle correctly displays when Reporting a Broken Link (RABL)
  • Improved text contrast for Saved Search modal to support accessibility 
  • Alert message displays when zero results are found while using Open Access filter 
  • Improved formatting when copying a citation

Many of these enhancements are the direct result of your feedback.

Recommended actions

We encourage you to review all of the items in the release notes to determine whether there are other items that might require additional action or follow up by your institution.

New features and enhancements

Updated greeting for the sign-in prompt

For unauthenticated users, the word “Hello” no longer displays before the “Sign-In” prompt. In addition, once a user signs in to their account, the more personal greeting message “Hello [User name]” displays.

Current Display

unathenticated current view.png

After Release - Unauthenticated Patron View

Sign-in prompt.png

After Release - Authenticated Patron View

Signed-in view.png

 

Bug fixes

Group related editions issue resolved for the Search Box Generator 

The search box generator was not considering configured default groupings for search results. The HTML code has been updated to reflect ‘ClusterResults=true’, similar to the modernized interface so the search box generator will now consider configured default groupings.  

Default grouping configuration can be found in OCLC Service Configuration: WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > Search Settings > Search Defaults.

Search Box Generator configuration can be found in OCLC Service Configuration: WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > Search Box Generator.

Call numbers will display in Search Results 

For several institutions, call numbers are displayed only on the item details page. We’ve resolved this issue so call numbers display on the search results page.

Authentication prompt for remote databases now points to an institution's configuration in custom links 

When a user performs a search that includes results from remote databases, the authentication prompt will point to a library’s custom links to ensure proxy sign-in success.  Custom links configuration can be found in OCLC Service Configuration: WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > User interface Options > Custom links.

reCAPTCHA puzzle correctly displays when Reporting a Broken Link (RABL)

When the reCAPTCHA puzzle is triggered while reporting a broken link, the full puzzle will now display so a user can validate and proceed with their submission.  

Improved text contrast for Saved Search modal to support accessibility 

Previously, a user would see a blank modal upon saving a search. The text color of the modal has been updated to contrast with the header/footer color that is chosen in OCLC Service Configuration: WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > User interface Options > Branding & Customization.

Alert message displays when zero results are found while using Open Access filter 

When the Open Access filter is selected and zero results are returned, an alert message will display to prompt the user on next steps: “Try your search again, use different search terms, or go back to select different filtering criteria”.

Improved formatting when copying a citation 

When using the “Cite” action on search results or item details pages, the “Copy Citation” action will now generate a link without grey background.

New Content

This is a list of new databases added to WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat.org since our last update.

You can enable these databases as search options in the Licensed Content and Databases module of the OCLC Service Configuration site. Please remember that your library must have a valid subscription to these databases in order to enable them.

The complete list of databases is available here.

Available in WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat.org

From Brill:

Commentaries on World Trade Online – Commentaries on world trade.

Sezgin Online - Covers the history of Arabic literature until circa 430 AH (11th century CE), covering Qur'an, poetry, medicine and the sciences, lexicography, and grammatical writings.

From Oxford University Press:

What Everyone Needs To Know - Written by leading authorities in their given fields, each volume in Oxford's acclaimed What Everyone Needs to Know(tm) series offers a balanced and authoritative primer on complex current event issues and countries. Popular topics include International Politics, Environmental Policies, World History, Sciences & Math, and Religion & Spirituality. The concise question-and-answer format is ideal for college students, professionals, and inquiring minds alike.

Available in WorldCat Discovery 

From Gale:

Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive: Part I: Debates over Slavery and Abolition   - Sheds light on the abolitionist movement, the conflicts within it, the anti- and pro-slavery arguments of the period, and the debates on the subject of colonization. It explores all facets of the controversial topic, with a focus on economic, gender, legal, religious, and government issues.

Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive: Part II: Slave Trade in the Atlantic World - Charts the inception of slavery in Africa and its rise as perpetuated on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, placing particular emphasis on the Caribbean, Latin American, and United States.

Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive: Part III: The Institution of Slavery  - Further expanding the depth of coverage of the topic, Part III of this series, explores, in vivid detail, the inner workings of slavery from 1492 to 1888

Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive: Part IV: Age of Emancipation  - Includes numerous rare documents related to emancipation in the United States, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.

Important links

 

Support website(s)

Support information for this product and related products can be found at:

Include Request ID with problem reports

When reporting an issue with WorldCat Discovery, it is extremely helpful to include the Request ID. The Request ID is found at the bottom of the screen on which the issue occurred. Including this information allows us to directly trace what happened on the request we are troubleshooting.

Request ID