Add library catalogues or databases

krischer
Hello,

on Zotero-Online worldcat is set as resolver for ISBNs etc. Unfortunately, the bibliographical information on worldcat is very incomplete. Is it possible to replace worldcat or at least to add other databases from university or national libraries (Library of Congress e.g.)? With Endnote or Citavi this is no problem. With Zotero, my main concern is to add another database to the web version.

I am very happy about any hints, thank you very much

Andre
  • adamsmith
    edited October 27, 2020
    Zotero uses the same rules for local and online ISBN lookup:
    First Library of Congress, then GBV*, only then Worldcat

    If you have an ISBN where that doesn't work as expected we can take a look, but in general this works

    * At least I think it also uses GBV online; didn't test that part
  • DWL-SDCA
    edited October 27, 2020
    The WorldCat database is populated with records supplied by thousands of libraries. Some of these libraries provide incomplete or inaccurate information. By and large, the OCLC staff do little to curate the database. Many (probably most) items have duplicate records each with varying degrees of completeness. Also note that each book can have many published versions/editions/formats each with a different ISBN -- each with duplications.

    edit: while WorldCat is most certainly a useful tool, I don't believe it is authorative. It is certainly not comprehensive. My (non-Zotero) database has almost 200 technical journals (that are real -- not Bealls List-worthy) with ISSNs that aren't in WorldCat but have been regularly publishing for many years -- even decades. And those are only counting the journals that publish research relevant to safety. I'm sure that there are umpteen other publications in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe that aren't in WorldCat.

    Over the years I've twice offered to supply OCLC with cataloging information for journals not in WorldCat but I must pay a costly subscription fee to qualify to send metadata or cover images even though my shop will never use any of their library services.
  • adamsmith
    OCLC/Worldcat actually have better data than we're getting for Zotero via Open Worldcat -- but their full API is restricted and Zotero can't use that and I've been told by people who have reported issues in Open Worldcat metadata (like notorious problems with publisher/place information) that they were told those issues aren't a priority to fix.
  • DWL-SDCA
    edited October 28, 2020
    @adamsmith I was referring to the subscription version of WorldCat. They wouldn't accept the metadata from my university unless the journals were subscribed-to and fully included in the library catalog (that is how the OCLC tallies the number and locations of holding libraries). They also wouldn't accept the metadata and journal cover images from the foundation that manages my database.
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