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Getting Started: New Discovery Tool

An introduction to the library services of the Bishop Ransom Library.

OCLC Discovery

The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)  is a global library cooperative that supports thousands of libraries by making information more accessible to researchers. Based in Dublin, Ohio, it was originally founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center.OCLC logo;

The Robert E. Stokes Information Commons at Wilberforce University, and the Reverdy C. Ransom Memorial Library at Payne Theological Seminary, together use OCLC's Worldshare Management Services (WMS) to manage their libraries. This joint managerial venture is called the Wilberforce-Payne Unified Library.

Libraries Worldwide

Our new Discovery Tool is not a library catalog in the traditional sense.

Searching a library catalog means search results only reflect what a given library has in its collections; whereas this tool searches libraries worldwide to facilitate discovery of items relevant to your search, whether or not they are held by the Wilberforce-Payne library.

  • You can switch between searching  Libraries Worldwide and searching the Wilberforce-Payne Unified Library with the Library filter located at the top-left corner of the Discovery screen.

Sorted by: Library v. Best Match

Toward the top right-hand corner of the Discovery screen, you will notice a Sorted by menu. Take note of the sort options Library and Best Match.

Library is the default sort. This means search results that are accessible via the Wilberforce-Payne library filter towards the top. Our holdings are given priority in your search results.

Best Match sorts by relevancy regardless of access. This means you may discover items that directly match your search yet are not held by Wilberforce-Payne.

  • Sort by Best Match when searching for a particular item such as a specific book Title by a specific Author.

Find Items by Location

OCLC's Discovery Tool has a unique feature that allows users to find items by location.

Click on an item's title to display its full record then scroll down to Availability where you will see a Search Location box. Enter an address or zip code to see an items' availability in your area.

  • Searching by location is particularly useful for distance learners who are not in the Wilberforce area. This feature helps students locate an item at libraries they may have access to, such as your local public library, or (for students enrolled at Payne Seminary) ATLA Reciprocal Borrowing Libraries

 
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