WorldCat sync

Find information about synchronizing metadata from your collection to WorldCat.

The Digital Collection Gateway enables you to synchronize metadata from your collection to WorldCat. You can use the Digital Collection Gateway to create metadata mapping profiles for your collection metadata to be regularly harvested (using Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting [OAI-PMH]), crosswalked, and converted to WorldCat metadata format. After harvesting, WorldCat returns a list of OCLC numbers; we recommend adding the OCLC numbers to your collection’s metadata to support future synchronizations.

After collections are synchronized via the Digital Collection Gateway, they are available for end users to search and discover from WorldCat. End users can click through to view and use your collection.

To get started, you first enable WorldCat Sync in CONTENTdm Administration and then specify which collections you want loaded into WorldCat. After you have set up the collections, you register with the Digital Collection Gateway and then begin mapping your metadata for the collections you enabled in CONTENTdm Administration.

 Note: If you have a WorldCat.org account, you can use your existing account user name and password for the registration. We recommend you use the Qualified Dublin Core template in your collections to facilitate metadata mapping with WorldCat.

To enable WorldCat Sync in CONTENTdm Administration, you must have server permissions to add collections, delete collections, or administer user rights.

  • Add a collection description
    Learn how to add a collection description from the WorldCat Sync Settings page in the CONTENTdm Collection administration.
  • Disable WorldCat Sync
    Learn how to use the harvesting section of the CONTENTdm Collection administration to disable WorldCat sync for all collections or for individual collections.
  • Edit the collection description
    Learn how to edit the collection description. To update the description in WorldCat, the collection must be synchronized with WorldCat again using the Digital Collection Gateway.
  • Enable WorldCat Sync
    Learn how to use the harvesting section of the CONTENTdm Collection administration to enable WorldCat sync.
  • Register with Digital Collection Gateway
    Learn how to register with the Digital Collection Gateway.
  • Update collections with OCLC numbers
    Learn how to update your collections with OCLC numbers after your collection is harvested and synchronized with WorldCat.
  • Use the Digital Collection Gateway
    Find information about logging in to the Digital Collection Gateway and managing collection profiles, mapping metadata, previewing records in WorldCat, managing synchronization schedules, and reviewing reports of past synchronizations.