OCLC for the Techie

"Experiments with a small supercomputer" by Thomas B. Hickey. OCLC Newsletter, Jan/Feb/Mar 2005.

Written with the lay person in mind, this article describes the 24-node computer configuration OCLC uses to search their more than 55 million bibliographic records that make up WorldCat.

OCLC is the major library cooperative that is promoting sharing between and providing resources for libraries through the U.S. and around the world. This includes sharing WorldCat--with more than 55 million bibliographic records--between 26,000+ libraries (including more than 10,000 outside of the U.S.). WorldCat is searchable through FirstSearch--a restricted database interface available through subscribing libraries. Additionally, through the Open WorldCat program, some of these 55 million records may also show up in searches of Google, Yahoo, Alibris, and other search and bookseller sites. Less visible, WorldCat is the basis for the 143.5 million (and counting) interlibrary loan requests that the OCLC libries have shared in the last 26 years.

If you didn't get that, check back for future, more comprehensible (hopefully) posts.