Are records for all of the titles listed in the print National Union Catalog (NUC) now available through the Library of Congress online catalog and WorldCat database?
Although a search of OCLC’s WorldCat database and the Library of Congress online catalog retrieves many records listed in the print editions of the National Union Catalog, a number of records are still unavailable. A 2005 article in College & Research Libraries, “The Proportion of NUC Pre-56 Titles Represented in OCLC WorldCat” (PDF, 441 KB), estimated that 27.8% of NUC Pre-1956 records were not listed in WorldCat. It is unlikely that WorldCat has reached 100% inclusivity in the intervening years, making a search of NUC an important supplement to WorldCat. In addition, due to the manner in which the retrospective conversion of the Library’s old card catalog to online form was undertaken, NUC continues to include some entries for works in the Library’s collections not listed in the Library’s online catalog. Consequently, it should be consulted in any thorough examination of the Library’s resources.
Related Questions
- Are records for all of the titles listed in the print National Union Catalog (NUC) now available through the Library of Congress online catalog and WorldCat database?
- Can a PINES library purchase bib records from a vendor and batch load them into PINES Union catalog?
- Is the National Union Catalog (NUC) considered authoritative in a case of conflicting dates?
