[Abstact] OCLC has reported that it has made 197 Million bibliographic work descriptions - WorldCat Works -available as linked data. This will improve discovery of library collections through a variety of popular sites and Web services. WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center.

By making this linked data available, library collections can be exposed to the wider Web community, integrating these collections and making them more easily discoverable through websites and services that library users visit daily, such as Google, Wikipedia and social networks.

The Head of Metadata Services at the British library remarked, "This release provides the information community with a valuable opportunity to assess how the benefits of a works-based approach could impact a new generation of library services."

Read the full news release here.