LIBRARY CATALOGS AROUND THE WORLD

        Long ago each library had its own unique card catalog, hundreds of drawers of neatly filed cross-referenced index cards, in wood or metal cabinets, which could be consulted only on site.  Then the National Union Catalog  brought together, in hard copy, references to all the books published in 1956 or earlier found in the catalogs of  U.S. libraries (UNIV LIB--Stacks Z881.A1 U521 Non-Circulating ).  The 119 folio volumes of the NUC, plus ancillary hard cover supplements and supporting volumes, altogether occupy more than a hundred linear feet of library shelving. 

        One of the uses for which computerized data bases did prove more efficient than traditional books is their ability to contain all this data in much more convenient form in an online catalog.  An "On-line Public Access Catalog" (in library jargon, an OPAC)  takes up much less room.  Unlike published catalogs, which are always retrospective, electronic catalogs can be continually updated.  Most Texas Tech students are familiar with the University Library's on-line catalog.  Some also will have noted that its left margin index column also contains a page that allows access to the individual electronic catalogs of area libraries. 

        How do you go beyond this?  Librarians can directly access regional loan catalogs and the the OCLC system.  Moreover, there is a universal system, WorldCat, which proclaims itself the largest network of library contents and services, linking more than 10,000 library catalogs worldwide, and potentially referencing more than a billion books.  But some of the participating libraries require direct access.  Moreover, the Texas Tech University Library does not offer its patrons direct WorldCat access.

        But do not despair.  You can reach important national systems directly.  One is the Catalog of the Library of Congress, an institution which, by law, contains copies of every book copyrighted in the United States.  For France, see the Catalogue collectif de France. For Italy the MAI (MetaOPAC Azalai Italiano).  For Germany the KVK (Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog).  This last has links to the OPACs of many national libraries that can be included in the same search.