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Regional Library Facilities (RLF) Tool for Checking Holdings

The Regional Library Facilities (RLF) non-duplication policy does not allow campuses to store materials that already exist in either the Northern (NRLF) or Southern (SRLF) RLF. Checking for titles in the RLF can be time-consuming. In order to make this process more efficient, UC Berkeley has released the “RLF Tool” that will tell you if a particular title is held in either the NRLF, the SRLF, in both locations or in neither location. 

Go to RLF Tool

The RLF Tool takes an OCLC number and queries OCLC to see if holdings have been set for NRLF and SRLF. There are two options:

  • Single OCLC Number – Enter a single OCLC number on a web form and you get an immediate response.
  • Multiple OCLC Numbers – Upload a text file of OCLC numbers (one number per line) or an Excel file (with column headers “OCLC Number”). Files will be processed only in the evenings and an email will be sent when the results are ready for download.

The tool is good for searching for single volume monographs. For multi volume monographs or serials, the tool is most useful if nothing is held at an RLF. If an OCLC number is found at an RLF, more checking will be necessary to determine which volume is actually held. More details on the RLF Tool can be found at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/LSO/rlf_tool .

This page also provides a contact email address if you encounter problems or have questions.