Leiden, Netherlands, -- 4 December 2023. OCLC has introduced the Arabic Discovery Catalog, a new initiative that brings together bibliographic records from libraries located in Arab countries into one catalog to enhance the discoverability and visibility of these collections for international research.

The Arabic Discovery Catalog currently includes records of more than 3.8 million Arabic resources and continues to grow, making it one of the most comprehensive bibliographic resources of Arabic culture.

OCLC staff have indexed records in Arabic and taken steps to ensure that sorting and searching of results are accurately displayed to deliver an intuitive and seamless discovery experience using Arabic script. The Arabic Discovery Catalog is built on the WorldCat Discovery platform, the discovery solution developed by OCLC that makes it possible for people easily find and get resources available in libraries worldwide through a single search.

Similar initiatives using the same OCLC solution—such as WorldCat España and the Art Discovery Group Catalog—have been emerging in other parts of the world where libraries seek to gather together specific bibliographic records, by geography or subject matter, to improve discoverability and online visibility.

As part of OCLC's web visibility program, library collections that are part of the Arabic Discovery Catalog are more visible on the web through WorldCat.org, and through a variety of search engines and other popular websites.

"The Arabic Discovery Catalog supports specific cultural and regional needs around improved discoverability and reach, nationally and internationally. It is our hope that this will mark a significant step forward for libraries and their users in the region, providing greater access and discoverability of these collections," said Eric van Lubeek, Vice President, Global Library Services, and Managing Director, OCLC EMEA & APAC.

A webpage in both Arabic and English is now available with the catalog search box, information about the catalog, and a request form for libraries that want to learn more about the initiative.

About OCLC

OCLC is a nonprofit global library organization that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research, and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC's WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world's collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff, and partners make breakthroughs possible.