Occasionally library patrons ask for a reading list feature, to keep track of items they have used or want to check out in the future. Although we cannot soon add this feature to
the software that provides our website, we have paid for a subscription to WorldCat which you can use for this purpose. WorldCat
includes not only our library catalog, but the catalog of thousands of
other member libraries. So, in making your reading lists, you're not
limited to just items that Knox County Public Library owns; you can add
to your list anything in the database that we can attempt to get for you
through Interlibrary Loan.
(This service is on our list of Reference
Databases as "Open
WorldCat for KCPL" because another version of the same service, WorldCat on FirstSearch, doesn't include the
personalized account features but does give you access to published
reviews for some items. I almost always use the Open WorldCat instead
of the FirstSearch version.)
You start by going to http://kcp.worldcat.org and registering for your
account there. Then you can search for an item, and when you find the
one you want, add it to a list.
You'll find that the list feature is handy for many purposes. You can
create a "to read" list, a "have read it" list, and any other lists.
You can make your lists public or private, and you can add your own
comments and reviews. You can also subscribe to someone else's public
list if you find another user who has tastes similar to your own.
From any item in your list, if we own it, you can click the link that
is our library's name and be taken to our website where you can reserve
the item. Interlibrary
Loan can try to get items for you that we don't own.
Your WorldCat account also allows you to post your stuff on social
networking sites, install a WorldCat browser tool, or even a mobile
phone application if you're super high-tech.
Please call Melissa at 215-8723 if you have any questions about this service.
