National Library of China adds records to WorldCat

The National Library of China will add its bibliographic records to the OCLC WorldCat database, making the records available to researchers worldwide. The library will develop software to convert the format of its records before they can be added to the database. Once this has been achieved, the library anticipates that some 1.5 million records will be sent to OCLC in 2008. These records, when added to WorldCat, will display Chinese characters.

‘The National Library of China values its cooperative partnership with OCLC,’ said Zhan Furui, director of the National Library of China. ‘By loading our records into WorldCat, the National Library of China is pleased to share its rich Chinese cultural resources on a global scale.’

‘OCLC is indeed honoured to have the National Library of China add records to WorldCat,’ says Andrew Wang, vice president, OCLC Asia Pacific. ’China offers 5,000 years of recorded history, one of the oldest cultural heritages of human kind. The records from the National Library of China will further enrich the value of WorldCat for scholarship worldwide, and will further enhance WorldCat’s role as a bridge of understanding between continents and cultures.’