Skip to main content
OCLC Support

Search Policies Directory

Learn how to search the OCLC Policies Directory and find information about the search results display.

Search the Policies Directory

You can search by any combination of criteria (you are not required to search by institution or group). For example, you can search for all OCLC suppliers that support rush handling in California and bill with OCLC IFM.

WorldCat registry data is updated within 2 hours. If you change any data in the WorldCat registry, users searching the Policies Directory will not see the changed data until after a two-hour delay.

Institution or group 

Choose the type of search from the Search By list, then type the corresponding name of the institution or group or the symbol of the institution or group.

Search by Description Note
Name (Institution or Group)

The name of the institution or group

Due to the variety of abbreviations used in names, wildcards are recommended when searching by name. For example, Ohio State univ*

Institution Symbol

The three-five character OCLC symbol of the institution

Only exact matches are retrieved. Searching for ORE results in ORE, not VOREL, OREVE, FORES, etc.

Group Symbol

The four-character OCLC symbol of the OCLC-profiled group

Search guidelines 

Search phrases are case-insensitive. Articles and most punctuation are ignored. Special characters (such as (and &) are treated as spaces.

Wildcard characters 

  • ? matches any single character
  • matches zero or more characters

Search strings that do not contain wildcards search for that string anywhere within the result (not just a result that begins with that string).

How to search 

Note: The options in steps 3 and 4 do not apply to group name searches.

Step Action

1

From the Search By list, choose what you want to search for (institution symbol or name, group symbol or name).

Note: Symbol searches retrieve exact matches only. If a group symbol is found, all its members are listed on the search results screen.

2

Type the name or symbol of the institution or group (based on your choice in step 1).

3

Geography. (Country; State (USA)/province (Australia, Canada); City)

Institution Types. Each library can choose a single type to describe itself.

OCLC Supplier. Libraries that lend using the OCLC ILL system.

Days To Respond. Number of days needed to respond to a request (4, 8, 12, 16 or 20)

Rush Supported. Libraries that will expedite requests. Note: Rush handling often costs more than normal handling.

International Lender. Libraries that lend to countries other than their own.

Group Affiliation. To limit search by group, the group must be profiled by OCLC. Refer to OCLC profiled groups for more information.

Note: These options do not apply to group name searches.

4

Policy Information options.

Fee. Limit search by fee charged. The search will return institutions with policies that indicate a fee of less than or equal to the search amount.  Must be numeric.

Currency. Specify the currency defined in the policy.

Format. Limit search by material type or physical manifestation of the item.

Request Method. Limit search by request method (means by which ILL requests are accepted by the library).

Delivery Method. Limit search by delivery method (service used or means by which items are delivered to a library).

Billing Method. Limit search by billing method (service used or means by which a library will request payment for ILL transactions).

Note: These options do not apply to group name searches.

5

Click the Search button.

Click Reset to clear all data you entered.

6

The Search Results screen displays. Note: The maximum number of search results is 5000.

Search options 

Note: Group searches use only the Name/Symbol field. The other search fields apply to institution searches.

Search options - Table
Field Description

Search By (institution symbol or name, group symbol or name)

Determines which type of search results which will display

Note: This is a required field. Symbol searches retrieve exact matches only. If a group symbol is found, all its members are listed on the search results screen.

Name/Symbol

Search for a specific institution, based on Search by selection

Geography

(Country; State (USA)/province (Australia, Canada); City)

Institution Types Type of library, self identified by the institution
OCLC Supplier Libraries that lend using the OCLC ILL system.
Days to Respond Number of days needed to respond to a request (4, 8, 12, 16 or 20)
Rush Supported Libraries that will expedite requests. Note: Rush handling often costs more than normal handling.
International Lender Libraries that lend to countries other than their own.
Group Affiliation To limit search by group, the group must be profiled by OCLC. Refer to OCLC profiled groups for more information.
Fee

Limit search by fee charged. The search will return institutions with policies that indicate a fee of less than or equal to the search amount.  Must be numeric.

Currency Specify the currency defined in the policy.
Format Limit search by material type or physical manifestation of the item.
Request Method Limit search by request method (means by which ILL requests are accepted by the library).
Delivery Method Limit search by delivery method (service used or means by which items are delivered to a library).
Billing Method Limit search by billing method (service used or means by which a library will request payment for ILL transactions).

Search Results

This screen lists any matches from a search, up to 5000. Search results display as follows.

Hourly update of WorldCat registry data

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) in the Profile Information section contain data from the WorldCat registry. The Policies Directory updates this data on an hourly basis. If you change any data in the WorldCat registry, users searching the Policies Directory will not see the changed data until after the hourly update.

Display symbols

Search results screens that list institution symbols have a Display Symbols button (above and below the search results table) that displays all retrieved institution symbols in a window from which you can copy them.

Symbol search results 

Search Type of matching Kind of search result displayed Display symbols on search results screen?
Institution Symbol

Exact match (one result or nothing

Institution profile displays, if found

No

Group Symbol

If group found, all symbols of group members displayed

Yes

Name search results 

Search Type of matching Actions Display symbols on search results screen?

Institution Name

List of results

Click Institution name to display profile

No

Group name

List of results

In the Institutions column, click the number to display all symbols of group members

Yes (if number in institution column has been clicked)

Return to tabs from search results 

To return to the Profile tab (and the other tabs), click the institution name in the upper right corner of the screen.