Confessions of a WorldCat Junkie

August 17, 2012

Once I was introduced to WorldCat by MCPL, there was no going back…  Suddenly, everything at over 9,000 libraries was available to me!

It's definitely worth a two week, or sometimes, a two month wait, if it means that I can get an out-of-print book referenced in the latest Steve Berry or James Rollins novel or a DVD collection of my favorite 1970s Saturday morning cartoons! Justice League of America marathons! Whoo Hoo! What’s the worst thing that could happen? They say "NO?” Whaaa Haaa Haaa. I’ll just wait and try again. It only took me three tries to find an out of state library to loan me my favorite British comedy series, The Young Ones. After a while, it becomes a game. It took me two years to find a library that would turn loose of their only video tape copy of the 1970s sitcom, Quark, starring Richard Benjamin (Probably because once he hit the big time he purchased all the copies he could and destroyed them). What’s the absolute best part of using WorldCat? IT’S FREE!!! That’s right – it costs me zilch, zip, nada. Honestly, if I have less than 3 rejection notices a month from the ILL (that’s Interlibrary Loan) Department, I’m slacking. So, I challenge you to try your own hand at using WorldCat.

Beth H.
Red Bridge Branch