The University of Florida is working with the Biblioteca Nacional de Cuba José Martí (BNCJM), the National Library of Cuba, to register Cuban materials in WorldCat, a comprehensive global database of library collection, making these resources available to researchers around the world.
Through a unique partnership between the BNCJM, the University of Florida and OCLC, 133,000 Cuban titles have been registered in WorldCat. More than 97,000 of these are unique records in WorldCat, and valuable additions to the worldwide library community.
OCLC provided expertise in data cleansing and loaded the data in WorldCat for tens of thousands of BNCJM records. In addition, the University of Florida converted thousands of cards to Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) records, provided BNCJM with copies of all the records loaded to date, and is providing ongoing support to BNCJM for loading future catalogue records into WorldCat.
The BNCJM collection appears in WorldCat as part of the University of Florida Libraries collection distinguished by the holding designation "University of Florida BNCJM." Interlibrary loan is not available for these items, but the digital surrogates will become available for public access through Celebrating Cuba! Collaborative Digital Collections of Cuban Patrimony, a set of initiatives to create broad and deep open access to digital collections that celebrate Cuban patrimony, including the unique holdings of the BNCJM.
The Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida began to develop and program collections to support Cuban studies in the late 1920s, and in 1952 under the national Farmington Plan, assumed a special responsibility for acquisitions. The Latin American and Caribbean Collection alone contains thousands of printed works and reels of microfilm concerning Cuba, and these holdings continue to grow rapidly each year. This reflects the University of Florida's overall broad-based interest in Cuba.
WorldCat offers researchers the ability to view library collections from anywhere in the world, giving them access to a rich assortment of information. There are 491 languages and dialects represented in WorldCat, and 62 percent of records represent materials in languages other than English.
Collections represented in WorldCat span more than 5,000 years of recorded knowledge. This unique collection of information encompasses records in a variety of formats-books, e-books, DVDs, digital resources, serials, sound recordings, musical scores, maps, visual materials, mixed materials, computer files and more.
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