Release Date: July 19, 2023
The following release notes are for the JULY 19, 2023 release of WorldCat Discovery.
This release of WorldCat Discovery includes the following enhancements as well as a bug fix:
Many of these changes are a direct result of your feedback.
Beginning 31 July 2023, for Discovery libraries using WorldShare ILL, all ILL requests will use the new WorldShare ILL form. The new form includes configuration options that allow you to provide a more customized experience for your library’s users. It also lets your users submit requests from any OpenURL-enabled discovery service or via a blank form.
You decide when to begin using the new ILL form.
The WorldCat Discovery request form will be retired following libraries’ migration to the new WorldShare ILL form. If you have a problem following migration to the new form, please contact OCLC Support in your region.
Additional details about the new ILL request form are provided in WorldShare ILL release notes, May 2023.
Note: If your library uses the patron request forms for ILLiad or Tipasa, you will not be impacted and you should continue to use your existing forms.
This release includes enhanced sign-in label configuration for libraries using WorldShare Identity Management. This configuration supports custom translations for all supported languages.
Additional information on this update is outlined in these release notes under “Create custom translations for user sign-in" and can be found in the July WorldShare Identity Management Application release notes.
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.
This release includes enhanced sign-in label configuration for libraries who are using WorldShare Identity Management. This configuration supports custom translations for all supported languages.
Previously, configuration for WMS Sign-in labels existed in Service Configuration > WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > User Interface Options > WMS Sign in Labels. Libraries could customize text for User Name, Password, and Forgot Password text. The former configuration is shown in the screenshot below.
With this release, libraries can configure custom translations of sign-in labels for all supported languages. Customization is available for the following fields:
The screenshots below show the mappings between the WMS sign-in page and the associated labels in Service Configuration.
To access this enhanced configuration, navigate to Service Configuration > EIDM Institution > Sign-In Page Custom Labels.
For additional details, please visit the July WorldShare Identity Management Application release notes.
With this release, we are making updates to OCLC Service Configuration > Metasearch Content to indicate whether access to a database is restricted. This update enables libraries to quickly understand when the database they are selecting will require authentication for users to return search results.
This information can be accessed in the following places:
Selected databases display:
Central Index databases display:
Custom database group display:
This release includes an enhancement to the Advanced Search page to make it clear to users that they can select/unselect all databases from a database group.
Previously, when selecting databases within a group, users were prompted with a button including the text: “Select All in Group.” It was not always clear to them that this same button could be used to unselect all the databases in the group.
With this release, we have updated the Advanced Search page to include an “All” checkbox in each database group as well as in the “Searching Databases” section.
Example of the checkbox for a database group where all databases are unselected:
Example of the checkbox in “Searching Databases” where all databases are selected:
This release includes performance improvements to enable users to save items from search results more quickly. These performance improvements will support the future enhancement: “Save multiple search results at once”, where users will be able to save all the items from a page of search results.
If you are on search results and click the “Save” button, the item should be added to “Saved Items” more quickly.
With this release, you can access a new “Header/Footer” section in OCLC Service Configuration. This can be reached by navigating to OCLC Service Configuration > WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > Display Settings > Header/Footer settings.
This new configuration section contains existing configuration which has been logically grouped for a more seamless configuration experience. Access configuration in this section for the following items:
Sign-in promotion: Promote sign-in to library users to take advantage of personalized features.
Custom notification: Notify your library users with a custom message.
Custom links menu: Label your custom links menu.
Previously, if an institution had configured an OCLC symbol (such as a repository database) as a branch, then scoping searches to that branch did not return search results. Results could be returned from the branch when searches were scoped to the local institution. With this release, branches configured using OCLC symbols will correctly return results.
OCLC is pleased to announce the release of one new database to the OCLC central index. As a reminder, the central index provides content for WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat.org.
You can enable this database as a search option in the Licensed Content and Databases module of the OCLC Service Configuration site. Please remember that your library must have a valid subscription to this database in order to enable it.
Please find below and in the attached document the database names and providers for reference. The complete list of databases is available here.
Broadway on Demand from Alexander Street: Provides an extensive range of content that goes beyond live performances. Along with musicals, plays, and dance performances, the collection includes unique behind-the-scenes series, documentaries, and masterclasses to help researchers gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art of theater.
More product information can be found here.
Support information for this product and related products can be found at:
If you have additional questions, please contact OCLC Customer Service by calling 1-800-848-5800 or 1-614-793-8682 Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 9p.m. ET, or email support@oclc.org. For support enquiries in the UK and Ireland, please contact the Support Desk by calling +44-(0)114-281 60 42 or e-mailing support-uk@oclc.org. Support is available between the hours of 09:00 and 17:30 (UK Time).