The WorldCat World

When looking for Read-Aloud titles, there’s a great big world of books from which to choose. You know what makes a great Read-Aloud book — big, colorful illustrations, memorable characters and words that dance off the page, whether whispered, bellowed, chanted or crooned. 

But how do you get your hands on the actual books?

If you are taking advantage of the suggested titles you find on this blog or in TRC’s Reading Road Maps, it shouldn’t be too difficult to locate a specific book in your local public library. That’s because The Reading Connection staff checks to make sure titles are readily available before recommending them to you!  

This is possible thanks to WorldCat, the world's largest library catalog. Developed and maintained by the nonprofit library cooperative OCLC, WorldCat’s database has more than 2 billion items available in libraries from around the world. Whether you are looking for a book, article, magazine, pamphlet, map, video game, audiobook or eBook, the chances are good that you'll find it in WorldCat — and then be able to find the nearest library that holds it.

Quickly locating a specific title nearby is handy, but there’s much more to WorldCat! You can

 

·       Read a book summary and reviews, including DOGObooks reviews from kids. You can write and add your own reviews, too.

·       Often, you can preview the contents of titles. This could save you a trip to library!

·       Get information about other editions and formats, which is helpful if you want to read the book in another language.

·       Find links to similar items and related subjects. This great feature can help you locate titles appropriate for specific themes. And if you are really interested a topic, it will help you find the books and other information sources that exist on the topic — not just the ones that are available in one library. There are also links to vendors if you want to buy the book.

·       Explore lists of recommended titles created by WorldCat users, including TheReadingConnection.

To take advantage of this free resource, all you need to do is visit the WorldCat website and start browsing. If you decide WorldCat.org is useful, create a free account and a profile and you’ll be able to save searches or create your own lists.

Local public libraries that share their collection databases with WorldCat include Arlington Public Library, Alexandria Library, Fairfax County Public Library, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Several local universities, as well as the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Library, also share their library catalogs through WorldCat. (If you are served by public libraries in Washington, DC, or suburban Maryland, you’ll have to rely on their individual online catalogs.)

WorldCat can point you in exciting new directions, lead you to previously unexplored resources and make your world of books bigger and better than ever. Your next great Read-Aloud book could be just a click away!

Guest blog post by TRC Advisory Council member and Belle of the Book, Rachael Walker.

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