DUBLIN, Ohio, 15 August 2016—Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) has contributed 2.4 million records to WorldCat, the world's most comprehensive network of data about library collections. The contribution, which includes 800,000 new records, will make BAnQ's valuable collections more visible and accessible to researchers around the world.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, which is at once national library, national archives and central library of a major metropolitan city, brings together, preserves and promotes materials from or related to Québec.
"We are delighted to extend the widespread accessibility of Québec's published heritage materials and of our extensive French-language circulating collection," said Christiane Barbe, BAnQ Chair and Chief Executive Officer. "It strengthens our mission of furthering knowledge. This committed gesture epitomizes our values of sharing and openness towards the global library and information community."
As a cultural hub, BAnQ strives to expand access to knowledge in 12 facilities open to the public across Québec: the Grande Bibliothèque, a preservation facility and 10 archives facilities. Located in the heart of Montréal, the Grande Bibliothèque offers open and free access to its heritage collections' materials and to its universal circulating collection. Over 5 million items circulate from this unique collection in French and other languages, which includes books, CDs, DVDs and e-books.
"The addition of all BAnQ's records to WorldCat broadens access to these rich collections beyond borders," said Daniel Boivin, Executive Director, OCLC Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. "Libraries, librarians and readers from the French-speaking world will benefit from this expanded access to BAnQ's impressive and often unique French-language collections. Increasing their visibility and access is consistent with the institution's mission to share knowledge and preserve the heritage materials of Québec."
WorldCat is the world's most comprehensive database of information about library collections. Libraries cooperatively contribute, enhance and share bibliographic data through WorldCat, connecting people to cultural and scholarly resources in libraries worldwide.
WorldCat brings together information about collection items, electronic resources and the libraries that make them available. On average, a bibliographic record is added to WorldCat every second. Watch WorldCat grow in real time on the OCLC website.
About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing 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.
About Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
As the largest cultural institution in Québec in terms of its attendance and diversified missions and an essential pillar of the knowledge society, the mandate of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is to offer democratic access to culture and knowledge. To this end, it brings together, preserves and promotes Québec's and Québec-related heritage materials, and also provides the services of a major public library. BAnQ carries out its mandate in 12 facilities which are open to the public: the Grande Bibliothèque, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal and BAnQ Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie in Montréal; BAnQ Gaspé, BAnQ Gatineau, BAnQ Québec, BAnQ Rimouski, BAnQ Rouyn-Noranda, BAnQ Saguenay, BAnQ Sept-Îles, BAnQ Sherbrooke and BAnQ Trois-Rivières. To learn more about BAnQ, visit banq.qc.ca.
