Note: If you are a WMS library or using full WorldShare Collection Manager, please see Branch-level scoping.
To implement branch-level scoping, contact OCLC Support to set up and complete branch-level scoping.
The ability to limit searches by branch location is included in subscriptions to the WorldCat Discovery service but is not included in WorldCat Discovery "quick start."
WorldCat Discovery subscribers may choose to limit search results to resources located at a specific branch.
If you add the symbols for your branch locations, WorldCat Discovery can identify the records held by your branch locations. In this situation, branch scoping is done at the OCLC institution symbol level and does not require local holdings records.
To support branch-level scoping, there are two types of data sync collection for adding LHRs to WorldCat.
To support branch-level scoping, you will need to add or update local holdings records with the most current local holding codes for your library.
OCLC LHRs are separate holdings records attached to a related WorldCat bibliographic record that provide holdings details for your library beyond the presence of your OCLC institution symbol in the bibliographic record to indicate a holding. Individual LHRs report holdings information for a single copy of an item. An institution may have one or many LHRs for any given bibliographic record in WorldCat.
OCLC LHRs are based on the MARC21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD). OCLC LHRs can be represented at Levels of Specificity 2 or above as defined by the Holdings Statements for Bibliographic Items (ANSI/NISO Z39-71).
The specific data element in LHRs that enables branch-level scoping is the unique four-character holding library code located in field 852 $b. A holding library code identifies a holding library or collection associated with your OCLC institution symbol.
If you need a list of your current holding library codes, or you need to add new holding library codes or change existing codes, send an email request to profiling@oclc.org. Holding library codes must be four alphanumeric characters in the ranges A-Z and 2-9 only.
A local holdings records collection is the preferred method for adding local holdings records to WorldCat because the LHRs can contain more detail and can added at Levels of Specificity 2 and higher, as defined by the Holdings Statements for Bibliographic Items (ANSI/NISO Z39-71).
Here are some requirements for creating a local holdings records collection:
Although a local holdings records collection accepts non-MARC patterned data, sending this type of data is not recommended for supporting ongoing branch scoping. Files for non-MARC collections can be submitted only as frequently as quarterly, which has proven to be too infrequent for WorldCat Discovery users.
For information about creating a local holdings records collection, see Create a local holdings records collection.