Despite the tremendous number of books, periodicals, microfilm, and microfiche owned by Clayton and the Houston Public Library, there are instances when additional material is needed. When that point is reached, many researchers turn to the microform holdings of the Family History Library. There is, however, another alternative, the use of WorldCat and the interlibrary loan services of Houston Public Library, both of which can be accessed from terminals at any HPL branch library or through the Internet. All that is needed is an HPL PowerCard and a computer with Internet connectivity, browser, and e-mail software. For policies and in-branch procedures, see Adam Kiskinis’s article, “Policies and Procedures for HPL’s Interlibrary Loan Service,” The CLF Newsletter, vol. 14, no. 1 (February 2000).

WorldCat is a database of the holdings of member libraries world-wide and operates similarly to most web-based library catalogs. Several searching methods can be used on WorldCat, either to find known books and microform or to search for unknown materials on a particular topic. When a book or roll of microfilm is found, the researcher can use WorldCat to e-mail an interlibrary loan request to the HPL staff.

To use WorldCat (or other HPL databases) from a home computer, it is necessary to make a minor system reconfiguration. When correctly done, this will not affect anything else on the computer. Start by pointing the browser to “http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us.” After the HPL home page comes up, single left-click on the link “Databases Online at Houston Public Library.” A new screen will appear entitled, “Databases Online.” Immediately under this heading is a link in a yellow box, which states that “You need to follow these instructions to enable remote access.” Single left-click anywhere on follow these instructions. This will bring up details of the required software change. If these changes seem difficult (or a teenager isn’t available to make them), assistance is available from HPL by phone at (713) 236-1313 during library hours.

After the software changes are made, return to the “Databases Online” web page and scroll down to the WorldCat database (almost the last listing). Single left-click on the blue link in the third column on the same row, “OCLC FirstSearch.” A new screen will come up entitled, “A password is required to use the library proxy server to access this site.” Next to “Last Name,” cursor-select (single left-click in) the data entry screen (little white window) and type the last name as it appears on the PowerCard. Then, hit the TAB key or cursor-select the data entry screen adjacent to “Library Card Number” and type in the card number. When all data has been entered, single left-click the on-screen SUBMIT button. Note that it may be necessary to go through the submission process more than once before successfully entering the database. This is so because of the heavy use this database receives (by other users in other parts of the world).

When the logon process is successful, a new screen appears welcoming the researcher to WorldCat. There are six buttons at the top of the screen: DATABASE, SEARCH, RESULTS, RECORD, NEWS, EXIT, and HELP. Below these buttons are two side-by-side data entry screens. The data entry screen on the left, under “Word, Phrase (Help),” is entitled, “Search for.” The screen on the right, under “Keyword Index (Help),” is a drop-down menu with 15 choices. If the downward pointing arrowhead is single left-clicked and held down, a drop-down menu will appear with the following choices: Accession Number, Author, Gov Doc Number, Notes, Publication Place, Publisher, Report Number, Series, Standard Number, Subject, Subject Headings, Title, Uniform Title, Vendor Info, and [Default]. For the basic searches discussed in this article, only Author, Title, and Subject (or Subject Heading), will be discussed. The library staff should be consulted for information on other items on this menu or for instructions on how to use the ADVANCED SEARCH button below it. Contextual online help is available for each of these data entry screens by single left-clicking on the link “Help.”

The first example, an author search, concerns finding the five-volume index of published French family genealogies compiled by Gaston Saffroy. Start by cursor-selecting the data entry screen next to “Search for” and type in “saffroy gaston” (capitalization is not needed). Entries should always have last name first, first name last, and no punctuation. Once the search text is entered, single left-click the START SEARCH button. Note that, because of catalog variations among WorldCat member libraries, last names containing noble particles, e.g., de, von, van, van der, van den, d’, de l’, di, del, della, will have to be searched twice. For example, the name “Robert de Berardinis” should be searched as both “de berardinis robert” and “berardinis robert de.”

When a response is received to the “saffroy gaston” START SEARCH request, a new screen appears, showing two results. The second result, Saffroy’s 1969 work, Bibliographie g‚n‚alogique h‚raldique et nobiliaire de la France..., looks promising as a starting place, so the title (titles are always a link in this screen) is single left-clicked. A new screen appears giving a complete bibliographic citation. Near the top of this screen are three new buttons: LIBRARIES WITH ITEM, GET/DISPLAY ITEM, and E-MAIL RECORD. The first button, LIBRARIES WITH ITEM, will bring up a list of libraries that own the book. The second button, GET/DISPLAY ITEM, is for ordering the book via interlibrary loan and will be addressed later. The last button, E-MAIL RECORD, is used for sending the citation to an e-mail address. If the LIBRARIES WITH ITEM button is single left-clicked, the database produces a list of more than 40 libraries, each owning a copy of the Saffroy book. The researcher can then target one of these libraries for an interlibrary loan request. (Researchers should keep two things in mind, however: First, many academic libraries, e.g., Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and UC-Berkeley, charge from $5 to $20 for lending a book. Second, although a library may own the book, it may not be willing to lend the book; this is especially true if the book was published before 1900.) After viewing the LIBRARIES WITH ITEM screen, the researcher can return to the citation screen (the previous screen) by using the RETURN button. Do not use the BACK button on the browser.

Once a book has been identified for possible interlibrary loan, single left-click on the GET/DISPLAY ITEM button. A new screen appears entitled, “Order the above item by clicking (1) on the method to get the item.” Although there are seven buttons under “Method to Get Item,” only one button is functional, the INTERLIBRARY LOAN (ILL) button. Single left-click on it and a new screen appears. This screen has a new button, CONTINUE, near the top left corner and a data entry screen under “Prices for InterLibrary Loan.” Single left-click on the CONTINUE button. A new screen appears. Below the copyright restrictions in the new screen are two buttons, ILL ITEM and CANCEL, both self explanatory. There are eleven data entry screens and four radio buttons adjacent to “Status (if applicable) .” Before single left-clicking the ILL ITEM button, it is necessary to fill in the data entry screens. Cursor-select and type in the requisite information in each of the data entry screens. “Your Name,” “Street Address,” “City,” and “Zip” are self-explanatory. Use “TX” for “State/Province.” Be sure to include the area code with the researcher’s daytime phone number in the “Telephone” data entry screen. “Your Library ID” is for the library card number. The “Dept. or Branch” screen may be left empty and the “Status (if applicable) ” radio button choices need not be selected. The “Maximum Cost” and “Date Needed (yyyy-mm-dd) ” data entry screens are self-explanatory with the latter being left blank. The “Comments” data entry screen provides the researcher a place to write an e-mail note to the interlibrary loan department. If there are any questions about cost, delivery, availability, etc., type them here. Be sure to include a return e-mail address in this screen. When finished, single left-click either of the two ILL ITEM buttons. If any required information was left out, a new screen will pop up requesting it. If all went well, a message will appear saying that the order was processed.

Title searches can be performed in a similar manner, with the search beginning at the “Title” selection on the drop-down menu. For title searches, the articles a, an, and the are generally omitted in the first word position in a title. However, the thorough researcher may want to perform two searches, one with the article and one without. It is also a good idea, when searching foreign language titles, to search both with and without diacritics.

In addition to author and title searches, subject and subject heading searches can also be performed. These are more difficult, for a couple of reasons: First, library cataloging practices have changed over the years. Second, although there are standards for classification,* libraries do not always follow these standards. A simple way to get around this problem is to find the subject and subject heading classifications for a book with which the researcher is familiar and then to use these to search for related books. For example, the subject heading classification for W. T. Block’s A History of Jefferson County, Texas, from Wilderness to Reconstruction is “Jefferson County (Tex.) - - History.” To find related books, the research goes to the WorldCat search page and in the “Word, Phrase (Help)” data entry screen types, “jefferson county texas history.” The drop-down menu is changed to “Subject Headings,” and the START SEARCH key is single left-clicked. The results screen returns 30 titles. If the researcher selects “Subject” on the drop-down menu, 57 titles are returned, although several of these will be found to be not relevant.

If the researcher returns to the first page of the “Subject Headings” search (the one that returned 30 titles) and single left-clicks on RELATED SUBJECTS, a new screen appears with 20 topics, each in the form of a link, one of which is “Bible records.” Single left-clicking on this link will return 773 titles, each in the form of a link to the full bibliographic citation as in the “Author” and “Title” searches. Now, single left-click on the first entry, “1. Miscellaneous Records.” A new screen appears showing this item is 163 pages (with index) of records relating to a number of families compiled by the Florida Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. By single left-clicking on the LIBRARIES WITH ITEM button, the researcher discovers the item may be available for interlibrary loan. After single left-clicking on the RETURN button in the upper left corner, then the BACK button on the browser, the researcher is returned to the results page. By single left-clicking on the NEXT PAGE button, the researcher discovers item 18, “18. Texas DAR Genealogical Records Committee report. Series 2, v. 279, Bible records.”

These searches may produce hundreds or even thousands of results, and although not all of these will be of interest, the researcher gets a very good grasp of what has been written on the subject. More importantly, the researcher can locate the item and possibly access it via interlibrary loan. Once a researcher becomes familiar with the mechanics of the basic search process, more advanced features, such as the LIMIT SEARCH button, can be used to improve the efficiency of the search. These can be explained by the library staff at any HPL branch library.

Microfilm and microfiche (microform) are difficult to research using the methods listed above. The main reason is that many libraries (including HPL and its branch libraries) do not list their microform holdings in WorldCat. It is well beyond the scope of this article to discuss all of the alternative ways of locating microform material; however, it is instructive to consider at least one example, that being microform held by state libraries.

All of the fifty state libraries now have their catalogs online, and microform holdings (vital, real property, tax, probate records, etc.) are often included. If the Internet address (the URL) of the particular state library is unknown, Yahoo! or any general web search engine can be used to find it. If microform listings cannot be found in the state library’s catalog on the Internet, the researcher can send an e-mail to the web site using the e-mail link that is usually included on the web page. When contacting a state library, explain what microform material is being sought and ask for interlibrary loan information. Experience has shown that not only will state libraries respond relatively quickly, but their response will generally be comprehensive. Once the response has been received, contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at HPL (713) 247-1927, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the information received from the state library. They will then obtain the microform on interlibrary loan and make it available for research at Clayton Library or other HPL branches.

WorldCat, coupled with the interlibrary loan services offered by HPL, represents a substantial extension to the research capabilities available at Clayton Library. And although system interfaces will change as improvements are made, serious researchers are strongly encouraged to get acquainted with WorldCat and what it has to offer. If you would like a demonstration of WorldCat or if you need more information on HPL’s interlibrary loan services, inquire at the Clayton Library front desk next time you are in the library.

* See, for example, Library of Congress Cataloging Policy and Support Office, Library of Congress Subject Headings: Prepared by the Cataloging Policy and Support Office, Collections Services, 16th ed., 4 or more vols. (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, Cataloging Distribution Service, 1993- ). Available in the bibliography department at Houston Public Library, shelved as LC 26.7.