The California Libraries Catalog (CalCat) is a unique database that shows the holdings of books, videos, audio, maps, and other materials held by libraries in California.
Background:
The libraries of California have been sharing cataloging records, books and other library materials through interlibrary loan for many years. Using central storage and software available through OCLC, libraries have been able to copy catalog cards and share digital records. This central storage of data has become the basis of WordCat, a “union list” or database showing the holding of many libraries throughout the world.
In 2005, the California State Library announced a new project that provides every Califronia public library access to WorldCat, and gathers the data from the libraries of all California libraries into a sub-group known as the "California Libraries Catalog". A federal grant allows every public library access to both of these databases and provides each library the ability to update their holdings with OCLC.
Each public library in the state now has a subscription to FirstSearch, the search engine to WorldCat and the California Libraries Catalog. First Search is the tool that looks for books and other library materials by author, title, format, publisher, and many other search terms.
Why have a California Libraries Catalog?
Now every library is a doorway into every other library in California with the California Libraries Catalog. Finding a specific book in California is now a simple task.
Libraries have traditionally freely shared books and other materials with other libraries. California Libraries Catalog now allows not only easy access, but also facilitates obtaining the needed materials via interlibrary loan.
Benefits:
Search all California libraries with one search
See if an item is on the shelf of a specific library
See which other libraries around the world hold that title
Email or print citations and search results
Find similar items on similar topics in close-by libraries
How many regional groups or sub-groups are available in the California Libraries Catalog
The Guest View that needs no certification shows only the holdings of the public libraries in California. Access to this view is available through http://calcat.org
The Guest view also separates the public libraries into geographic regions. The geographic regions are listed at calcat.org. The geographic regions represented are:
North State
North Bay Area and Wine Country
Greater Bay Area
Monterey Bay Area
Sacramento-North-Central Valley-Mother Lode
Central Valley
San Luis Obispo-Santa Barbara-Ventura
Los Angeles & Orange Counties
Riverside-San Bernardino-Inyo Counties
San Diego & Imperial Counties
Academic, school and other types of libraries are also grouped together and accessible to registered users.
Library systems consist of groups of libraries that share a delivery system. The 15 systems are partially funded by Calif. Library Systems Act (CLSA)
How it Works:
Anyone can see the general and regional Guest Views showing the holdings of only California’s public libraries by going to the California Libraries Catalog website.
By going to your local library’s website, users can search the entire WorldCat and the non-public libraries in the California Libraries Catalog, including school, public, government, academic and special libraries. Go to your library’s website and look for the CalCat logo.
The search tool for California Libraries Catalog and WorldCat is called FirstSearch. You can toggle back and forth between the California libraries and world-wide holdings, using the same search terms without retyping.
Facts about WorldCat:
More than 61 million bibliographic records are in WorldCat
More than 1 billion copies of titles held by libraries are listed in WorldCat
