There is no doubt that digital images of out of copyright books can be a great way to immediately access those items. But there are materials that are not digitized, are not out of copyright, or are otherwise not available online immediately.
WorldCat is a global online library card catalog. It includes traditional print materials and archival materials in special collections. Some materials may not be available for interlibrary loan or subject to other access restrictions. But WorldCat is a great way to learn about these materials.
Links to a few sample searches (of subject headings);
The Advanced Search page on WorldCat can also be a great place to do some experimentation.
One response
Worldcat is great! If you plan to do research in another state or town, Worldcat is a good way to see what is available at the library where you’ll be. Also, although not all genealogy books circulate, the library might be willing to copy the index and any relevant pages you might need. I’m a genealogy librarian, and our genealogy books don’t circulate. However, I have gladly made copies of pages for out of town patrons who requested them via inter-library loan (ILL).