Computer library service OCLC has announced that The Alberta Library (TAL), a consortium of 49 public, university, college, technical institute and special libraries, has selected a group catalogue solution from OCLC as its provincial discovery tool. The revamped union catalogue, TAL Online, makes 25 million items available to Albertans.
TAL licensed the group catalogue, powered by OCLC's WorldCat, using provincial technology funds from the Government of Alberta Public Library Services Branch. Scheduled to launch in October 2013, TAL Online will serve as the primary resource for residents in Alberta searching for items in libraries throughout the province. Twenty-three new libraries in Alberta are now using OCLC cataloguing services.
The catalogue will enhance resource sharing for Alberta's provincially licensed e-content by exposing library resources through online search and social media networks. The project takes full advantage of OCLC's VDX resource sharing management system already licensed for Alberta public libraries. Users will be able to seamlessly request materials discovered in TAL Online from any public or academic library in the province.
WorldCat is an online database of resources available through libraries worldwide. In May 2013, the 2 billionth holding was set through an automated process by TAL member University of Alberta Libraries, in Edmonton. The WorldCat interface is available in 10 languages, including English and French, and search results display nearby holding libraries—closest to furthest from the user.
