What is the GGC?

Since 1978, the Shared Cataloguing System GGC (in Dutch: Gemeenschappelijk Geautomatiseerd Catalogiseersysteem) has developed into an efficient and reliable tool for the management of libraries, for the cataloguing of various kinds of publications. Not only books and periodicals, but also letters, maps, audio-visual material, CD ROMs and online resources are catalogued in the shared catalogue.

More than 200 libraries and documentation centres use the GGC every day to catalogue their collections. Beside academic and public libraries an increasing number of special libraries uses the GGC, such as archives, museums and other documentation centres. Thus, already more than 20 million titles were recorded in the GGC.

Due to the fact that it is shared cataloguing, each publication needs to be catalogued only once. In this way, organizations make optimum use of each other's cataloguing effort. To that end, Pica also enters bibliographic tapes of the national libraries of the United States and England in the GGC and it is possible to gain access to WorldCAT, the shared cataloguing system of Pica's partner OCLC in the United States. An additional advantage is the fact that libraries check eacht other's titles so that the quality of the database is safeguarded.

Dutch Union Catalogue NCC

Libraries that participate in the shared cataloguing system, show their collection to the whole nation, as all titles in the GGC also form part of the Dutch Union Catalogue NCC. This makes it possible not only for the staff of other libraries, but also for their patrons to browse your collection. Moreover, the NCC is the basis for the Dutch Interlibrary Loan. Publications, or photocopies thereof, can be requested by and sent to another library. Participants in the GGC are free to specify whether their collection is available for ILL.

Facilities

In order to be able to find bibliographic information simply and quickly, the GGC has a powerful command-driven searchsystem. There are as much as 38 searchkeys that can be used in combination and can also be combined with the results of an earlier search. Besides, the results of a search can be narrowed down with secondary searchkeys, the Additional Discriminating Information (ADI) such as year of publication and type of material or record.

Pica has developed software to work with the GGC, the Intelligent Bibliographic Workstation (WinIBW). Obviously, the software operates under Windows and supports cataloguers with extensive editing facilities such as copying and function keys users can define themselves (macros).

Types of material

Not just books and periodicals are catalogues in the GGC. The database also contains references to audio-visual and loose-leaf material, articles from periodicals, sheet music, sound recordings, cartographic material, letters, software, museum objects and electronic documents. The various types of material have their own, separate rules for for input into the database so that the characteristics of each one are done full justice.

Rules for input

The Dutch national rules form the basis for the GGC input rules. These rules-published in 1991 by FOBID and Pica - are the minimum requirement.

Title format

The titles within the GGC have three levels: general, local and copy level. Only the general level is visible for all participating libraries. On the general level you will find the formal, bibliographic cataloguing data (title, author, collation, annotations). Beside bibliographic data also information from the shared subject heading (GOO) and Siso (the Dutch public library classification scheme) codes are available.
On the local level each library adds his own, specific cataloguing data such as geographic and bibliographic keywords, systematic codes and abstracts. On the copy level information like shelf marks, barcodes and copy related annotations are recorded.

Thesaurus facilities

There are various thesaurus facilities in the GGC. Beside the Dutch national, shared thesauri of personal names, copporations and shared subject headings, each library has the opportunity to build its own thesaurus of keywords.

Pica's output system

The titles from the GGC can be downloaded from the system, they can also be exported on various media. Thus, they can be used to add to the own (local) OPAC. it is also possible to produce check- and acquisitions' lists. There are several facilities for selecting, sorting and presenting. Output is produced on paper or electronically, via FTP or e-mail.

Network

Libraries that want to use with the GGC, need a connection to an external network. The connection with Pica is made via the Internet Protocol (IP). Pica does not support direct dial-up access tot its system.

Support

Pica has a Helpdesk, that can be reached Monday thru Friday, 8.30 am - 5.00 pm.

The advantages listed

• high quality titles
• economical cataloguing
• different types of material
• user friendly and extensive searching
• a wide public of users due to participation in the Dutch Union Catalogue
• possibility to join in the Interlibrary Loan
• extensive thesaurus facilities
• various forms of output for local catalogue building
• good technical and functional support by Pica