The OCLC PromptCat service helps libraries copy catalog more materials, place them on shelves faster and decrease backlogs. Working with book vendors, OCLC sets holdings in WorldCat and produces OCLC-MARC records. Libraries usually receive the bibliographic record from OCLC before the item arrives from the vendor, and libraries belonging to shared local catalogs can now receive a single copy of the full MARC record for their joint catalog. PromptCat also is available to non-OCLC members.
Libraries have the option to receive materials 'shelf-ready' from the vendor.
For more information, see Shelf-ready Specifications . The link is the vendor's unique control number for each title and OCLC's unique bibliographic record control number. The VID is built by matching the vendor's title file to WorldCat. OCLC does not keep the vendor record, only the vendor's unique control number. These ongoing updates continue for as long as the vendor participates in PromptCat.