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WorldCat : A global catalog : Summary of the Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records

Summary of the Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat® Records

An open letter to the OCLC membership on the WorldCat Record Use Policy

Read the letter from the OCLC Board of Trustees ››

The Guidelines for the Use and Transfer of OCLC-Derived Records have been updated to become the Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records. The Policy is scheduled to become effective mid-February 2009. Until that time, the Guidelines will remain in force. Please see the frequently asked questions for more information.

OCLC® encourages and supports the widespread, non-commercial use of WorldCat records for scholarship and research to advance innovation that benefits libraries, museums, archives and their users. The “Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat® Records” is intended to foster such use while protecting the investment OCLC members have made in WorldCat, and ensuring that use of WorldCat records provides benefit to the membership.

YOU ARE FREE:

  1. To use, reproduce, incorporate into works and display WorldCat records.
  2. To transfer WorldCat records of your library’s, archive’s or museum’s own holdings.

UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:

  1. Noncommercial Use. Use of WorldCat records for commercial purposes requires a separate agreement with OCLC.
  2. Noncommercial Transfer. WorldCat records may not be sold, sublicensed, or otherwise transferred for a fee, other economic gain or commercial purposes.
  3. Attribution. OCLC encourages you to identify WorldCat and OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. as the source of WorldCat-derived records.
  4. Reasonable Use. Use must not discourage the contribution of bibliographic and holdings data to WorldCat or substantially replicate the function, purpose, and/or size of WorldCat.
  5. Modification. OCLC encourages you to retain the OCLC number, the link to the policy, and any other means of attribution from WorldCat-derived records.
  6. Conveyance. The policy terms and conditions remain in effect following the transfer of WorldCat records.

This brief summary of the Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat® Records is for informational purposes only. Please read the complete Policy and all supporting documents carefully when considering use or transfer of WorldCat records.