Fast Facts: OhioLINK Library Catalog

What is the OhioLINK Library Catalog?

The online OhioLINK Library Catalog contains materials from OhioLINK’s 89 member libraries, two public libraries and the Center for Research Libraries. It encompasses a spectrum of library material including law, medical and special collections. The catalog provides bibliographic descriptions, indicates where copies are located and lists whether copies are available.

Online Borrowing

Students, faculty, staff, and card holders from participating public libraries can use the OhioLINK Library Catalog to find and request materials online, then pick them up two to three days later at the participating library of their choice. Users can renew books online and keep them for up to 15 weeks.

History

1992 – Six universities installed OhioLINK systems and began the ongoing process of building the OhioLINK Library Catalog. These were text-only systems operating via Telnet protocol over the Internet.

1994 – Users begin requesting OhioLINK materials online

1994 – Two-year colleges began to join OhioLINK

1995 – Independent colleges began to join OhioLINK

1996 – The OhioLINK Library Catalog went live on the World Wide Web on July 1, 1996

1997 – The one millionth online catalog request is placed

2003 – Pickup Anywhere debuts, letting users pick up requested items from any participating library statewide

2004 – Cuyahoga County Public Library shares books via OhioLINK & the five millionth online catalog request is placed

2005 – Westerville Public Library shares books via OhioLINK

2006 – The Ohio State University Libraries add the 10 millionth unique title to the OhioLINK Library Catalog in October. The 10 millionth title is Mexican Modern: Masters of the 20th Century, essays by David Craven and Luis-Martin Lozano.

Benefits

The OhioLINK Library Catalog expands research capabilities because users are no longer restricted to what is available in local library collections. Instead, the catalog offers a combined statewide library collection of more than 47.9 million items.
Ohio students, faculty and staff can request materials and receive them in two to three days, not weeks as with traditional interlibrary loan.
Access to the OhioLINK Library Catalog allows participating libraries to diversify their collections by purchasing items that are not available statewide, instead of purchasing duplicate copies of low-demand items.

Statistics

The catalog includes more than 11.5 million unique items and 47.9 million total items (as of February 2009).
61% of titles in the OhioLINK Library Catalog are only available at one OhioLINK library.
Students, faculty and staff at OhioLINK libraries borrowed 847,379 books and other library items from March 2008 through February 2009.
OhioLINK users have utilized pickup anywhere to pick up materials at any participating library more than 25,000 times. Users from 81 of OhioLINK's 89 institutions have utilized the service and had OhioLINK items delivered to 153 different locations statewide.

Last Update: April 2009