Inhalt
Literary search in the virtual catalogue (KVK)
The Karlsruher virtuelle Katalog (KVK) ) is a comprehensive meta catalogue for library and bookshop catalogues in Germany and worldwide. Input search requests are passed on simultaneously to several library catalogues (target systems) and then the relevant hit lists are shown in a standardized form. By default the system searches in all catalogues that are ticked. From the short tile lists you are linked to the original full title displays of the individual systems. The KVK was released to the public on July 26th 1996.
In addition to all important library catalogues in Germany, the catalogue permits an international research in numerous catalogues abroad (e.g. Australia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary and the USA). In addition, the KVK offers access to several bookshop databases.
Procedure
You can research in KVK at any time – without prior registration. Frequent users can save their regularly preferred selection criteria under "settings".
Specific fields are provided to enter search terms when researching in KVK. How diversified or restricted you make your search in the catalogue, depends on the amount and accuracy of your search terms. Please note however that the catalogue is subject to the logic of the individual database and that possibly you will get different results with different search terms in different database.
Furthermore we recommend restricting the search to relevant database (e.g. to restrict your search such that firstly all German catalogues and then foreign catalogues are searched). This shortens the response time and spares the system resources of the target systems. Once you have the full title display of the target system, you can either order the required works directly or use the inter-library-loan system of your library. If you are a registered user of the KIT library in Karlsruhe or the University Library in Mannheim, you can order the media you require directly using the inter-library loan system of the KVK.
