It is important to know certain basic facts about any database you are searching. For example, how often is the database updated, what time span is covered, what types of material are included, and what subject headings or controlled vocabulary are used? OCLC and WorldCat (continued)
In most cases these questions are answered in the documentation provided by the database producer. WorldCat is updated daily, includes material from about 1000 A.D. to the present, and covers all disciplines. It includes the records cataloged by OCLC member libraries representing 400 languages. These records describe books, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, sound recordings, videotapes and other materials. Therefore, searching in this database on almost any topic is appropriate.
The controlled vocabulary used is the Library of Congress Subject Headings and the MeSH headings. MeSH stands for Medical Subject Headings, a standardized list of medical headings produced by the National Library of Medicine.
The WorldCat database is produced by OCLC. Libraries pay to subscribe to OCLC databases. We will examine how to search WorldCat, but you should also explore the other databases available to you for information related to your topic. Remember to look at the documentation provided for each database .
