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I just read on the Infotoday web site that OCLC [is going] to Open WorldCat Searching to the World. While I like the idea of anyone being able to search WorldCat, I’m not sure I am really in favor of this move because like the existing Open WorldCat program, which people can use Google, Yahoo!, and other sites to search WorldCat, libraries that put their records into WorldCat are not automatically included. They have to pay for the right to be in there via a subscription to WorldCat. This means that if a library does not subscribe, they don’t get a link to their holdings. While, I understand OCLC wants to make a profit (even though they are a nonprofit cooperative), this program ends up harming libraries that are not paying for a subscription – even if they contribute records to OCLC. If it was only that their holdings didn’t show up, it wouldn’t be so bad. Unfortunately, a user has no easy way to know that their local library isn’t included. Because of this, they may assume that their library doesn’t have an item it really does, and then the person may go elsewhere for the item (like to a bookstore) and the person won’t visit the library to see if they have it. If OCLC made it clear that not all libraries in the area are included, it wouldn’t be so bad. However, they do not make it clear at all. In fact, I had to do a number of different searches just to prove to myself that one local library wasn’t included. I’m not sure how much a subscription to WorldCat costs, but with the budget crunch in New Jersey, it is difficult to see many libraries having extra funding to expose their holdings this way. However, they may start having to if they want mind-share, which means funds will have to be diverted from other resources.