By Rosario Garza
BCR member libraries that need to analyze their collections may want to take a look at
the OCLC/WLN Automated Collection Assessment and Analysis Services (ACAS).
These services provide library administrators and collection development staff with the
accurate, systematic data they need for collection planning, acquisitions budget
development, accreditation, fund raising, grant applications and cooperative collection
development.
Using a subject-oriented conspectus or survey approach, these services have at their
core the WLN Conspectus, which provides the framework to inventory library
collections in 24 subject divisions for Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress
classification schemes. A separate conspectus for the National Library of Medicine
classification is also available. The conspectus' 24 subject divisions are subdivided by
approximately 500 subject categories, which are further subdivided by approximately
4,000 descriptors. Each subject division, category and descriptor is directly related to a
range of classification numbers.
The OCLC/WLN Collection Analysis service provides libraries with an analysis of
bibliographic records, matching a library's or a group's machine-readable database
against the WLN Conspectus subject categories and descriptors. If they choose, library
staff can use their library's records in OCLC's WorldCat to perform the analysis. The
analysis can find out how old the library collection is and how many titles are held in
particular subject areas. If a group database is being used, the library staff can compare a
library's collection against the group's holdings. Results are available in graphic
representations as well as tabular form.
Title Overlap and Gap Analysis services provide just what their names imply -- an
analysis of the title overlap among libraries in a group and an analysis of gaps in a
particular library's collection when compared within the group. For the title overlap, the
group is provided with a statistical summary and lists of unique and jointly held titles.
OCLC/WLN also provides a matrix of each library's number and percentage of overlap
with every other library by conspectus divisions, categories and subjects. The key to this
analysis is the title deduplication process, which is modified as needed depending on the
characteristics of the libraries' data.
The Collection Comparison Service uses the machine- readable file of Books for College
Libraries, Third Edition (BCL3), titles in Outstanding Academic Books and titles
reviewed in Booklist to provide comparisons for libraries and groups, matching their
records with these files. Reports generated are Match, Close Match and Miss, with
information in WLN Conspectus line-number order, shelf-list order or BCL3 record-
number order. At this time the reports are available in printed form.
OCLC/WLN can also compare a library's holdings with the holdings of two or more
libraries in WorldCat. Comparisons can be scoped by date and classification number.
If you are interested in any of these services for your library, contact BCR's Rosario Garza.
