GPO - U.S. Government Publishing Office
Get started
If you need access to Collection Manager (the Metadata tab in the WorldShare interface), follow the steps to Create a Collection Manager account. The instructions will tell you to complete a Request WorldShare Collection Manager form.
An OCLC Cataloging and Metadata Subscription is required for record delivery from the collections listed below. If your library does not have a subscription, see Options for libraries without a cataloging subscription.
Request collection loading
Verify that your collections have not been manually selected
Contact OCLC Support
- OCLC will use your Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) profile information to maintain your library-specific government document collections. If you are not sure what your GPO depository number is, please contact the Government Publishing Office (GPO) support team: https://www.gpo.gov/askgpo
- Contact OCLC Support and provide your U.S. Government Publishing Office details to have automated holdings feeds enabled by sending the following sentence:
Please create my library-specific government document collections in Collection Manager: My WorldCat registry ID is: [number] My GPO depository number is: [number]
It can take up to one month before your government document collections are active and viewable in the WorldShare interface.
See if your collection loaded
Collection names and IDs
There are many collections in the global WorldCat knowledge base. Use the collection information to help you find the relevant collections. When you search in Collection Manager, try entering a root word and an asterisk (*) as a truncation operator. For example: U.S. Government*
The below collections are available for automatic collection loading:
Collection name(s) | Collection ID(s) | Demand-driven acquisition collections? | Frequency provider sends OCLC data | Notes about the collection |
---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Government Documents - Electronic | govdocs.govdocse | No | Monthly | Please verify that your collections have not been manually selected before you proceed to request collection loading. |
U.S. Government Documents - Non-electronic | govdocs.govdocsp | No | Monthly | Please verify that your collections have not been manually selected before you proceed to request collection loading. |
OCLC has divided your titles into two collections: Electronic titles and non-electronic titles. This division allows you to make choices in your settings and customizations per format. For example, you can choose to have MARC records for your electronic collection and for your non-electronic titles output in unique, separate files. Likewise, you could add unique public notes for display in WorldCat Discovery in each collection.
OCLC Support with examples.
Caution: Once your collection has loaded, do not add, delete, or update any of the titles within the collection. If there is an issue with the titles selected or missing from your collection, please contactCheck the Activity History or search for your collection
Configure institution settings
- Sign in to the WorldShare interface at your library's WorldShare URL.
- Replace yourlibrary with your library's identifier: https://yourlibrary.share.worldcat.org/wms
- Navigate to Metadata > Collection Manager > Institution Settings.
- Configure the following settings:
OCLC Symbol
Proxy and Authentication
Reports (WorldCat holdings reports and/or Records reports)
Choose the instructions that apply to your needs
Get WorldCat MARC records
Enable record delivery in Settings
Collection Manager will output new, update, and delete records as they become available based on your GPO class selection holdings. To enable your institution for MARC record delivery:
- Navigate to Collection Manager > Institution Settings.
- Expand MARC Records. Select Yes to enable record options.
- Compete the settings in the tabs to customize your records as much or as little as desired. For complete instructions, see Configure institution MARC Records settings for knowledge base collections.
Enable record delivery in each collection
- Search for your collection using the search box in Metadata tab > Collection Manager.
- Click the name of one of the collection to open it.
- Open the Holdings and MARC Records accordion.
- Set Enable MARC Record Delivery to Use institution setting.
- (Optional) Consider using these popular settings:
Download your records
Download your files of records from the WorldShare interface, Metadata tab.
Find information to Understand emailed reports and Understand record processing.
Manage WorldCat holdings
Collection Manager provides the convenience of automatically maintaining your holdings in WorldCat as titles are added, deleted or updated in your collections.
- Navigate to Institution Settings > WorldCat Holdings.
- Set Maintain holdings in WorldCat to Yes.
Now that you have enabled WorldCat Holdings in the institution settings, the collection-level setting for knowledge base collections will be enabled by default.
Use collection data with other services
Display full-text links, elevate links from a specific provider, and more.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an added cost to receive MARC records for government documents through OCLC?
The GPO automatic holdings feed and knowledge base collections are included at no additional cost for institutions with an OCLC Cataloging and Metadata Subscription.
When is the Cataloging Record Distribution Program via MARCIVE ending?
The Cataloging Record Distribution Program (CRDP) will end on December 31, 2024. The last record set made available for the CRDP will be sent out in December and include records cataloged in November 2024.
Will the records I get from OCLC be different than those I received from MARCIVE?
U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has always cataloged in WorldCat, so the core of the records will be the same. MARCIVE may have applied record customizations for you, but these can also be set up in Collection Manager. Refer to Customize records (Institution Settings) and Collection-level settings
Does my library need to be a federal depository?
Any library can select all titles in the GPO knowledge base collections, or select a subset of titles.
Only federal depository libraries can use automatic holdings feeds to select titles matching their GPO profiles.
Does this service include authority control?
OCLC does not offer a "traditional" authority control service. However, WorldCat Updates can serve the same purpose by automatically delivering records to you when profiled fields are updated with controlled headings. Refer to WorldCat Updates.
How can I avoid duplicates in my local system?
The first record delivery from OCLC will contain all new records.
Consult your system's record import settings for options. Your system could check for matches on OCLC number or GPO item number.
Consider also deleting previous government document records before loading new records.
How are OCLC number changes handled?
OCLC number changes are typically a result of two WorldCat records being merged into one another.
If you have enabled MARC delivery, merged records held by your library are delivered in merges files, regardless of whether you have enabled WorldCat Updates.
Refer to Records in Merges files.
Do I have to set up the automatic holdings feed or can I maintain the collections on my own?
Federal depository libraries can use automatic holdings feeds to select titles matching their GPO profiles. You do not have to set up the automatic holdings feed, but it can be convenient to have OCLC automatically select titles based on your GPO profile.
To set up the automatic holdings feed, refer to Request collection loading.
To manually select and deselect titles, refer to Modify a collection to select your subset of titles.
How do I tell if I already have the automatic holdings feed set up for government documents?
- Navigate to WorldShare > Metadata > Collection Manager > Institution Settings> Knowledge Base Data > Data Sources
- Choose the Option for Selected data sources only.
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Note: Do not save this option.
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- Once Selected data sources only is selected, the GPO holdings feeds will be listed as govdocs under the setting if a holdings feed is set up.