WorldCat Discovery release notes, February 2023

WorldCat Discovery February Release Highlights 

This release of WorldCat Discovery includes the following enhancements as well as several bug fixes:

• Find the right item with enhanced availability table sorting*
• Place WorldShare ILL requests for items without an OCLC number
• Use a blank ILL form to place requests without finding an item

Many of these changes are a direct result of your feedback.

*= WMS libraries only

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. 

Recommended Actions

Find the right item with enhanced availability table sorting*

* = WMS libraries only

Place WorldShare ILL requests for items without an OCLC number

Libraries can leverage the robust configuration options of the new WorldShare ILL form to enable users to place requests for items without an OCLC number.

To configure this form, navigate to Service Configuration > WorldShare ILL > Patron Request Workforms >WorldShare ILL Request Form.

This new form supports additional configuration options for bibliographic fields, enabling libraries to choose to make a field required/not required, as well as editable/not editable.

Use a blank ILL form to place requests without finding an item

Libraries can use the new WorldShare ILL form as a blank form to support users who want to place an ILL request without first finding an item.

To configure a blank form, navigate to Service Configuration > WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat Local > User Interface Options > Custom Links. Create a new custom link, configuring the display text and any custom translations, and then populating the URL field with the registered OpenURL resolver your library created when configuring the new WorldShare ILL form.

Once changes have been saved, the blank form will display in the Resources dropdown menu for users.

Error message no longer shows when saving settings in service configuration

Previously, when saving a change in Service Configuration, the changes would save but users would sometimes be prompted with an error message stating otherwise. With this release, changes will save without displaying an error message.

Author filters with an apostrophe no longer cause an error

Previously, when performing a search, if the author facet was used to narrow results and the author’s name contained an apostrophe, no search results were returned. With this release, the issue has been resolved.

Talis reading lists now display in alphabetical order

With this release, for libraries with a third-party integration with Talis Reading Lists, lists will now display in alphabetical order.

"Libraries Worldwide” facet now displays translation

Previously, when the “Libraries Worldwide” search facet was selected, the facet display at the top of the results screen did not display the translation for users viewing WorldCat Discovery in languages other than English. With this release, the facets display will honor language selection.

New content

Since the last release of WorldCat Discovery, we have released eight new databases to the OCLC central index. As a reminder, the central index provides content for WorldCat Discovery and WorldCat.org.

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.

Please find below and in the attached document the database names and providers for reference. The complete list of databases is available here.

Important links