Using the WorldCat Collection Analysis Tool: Experiences From the University of Kansas Libraries

Abstract

In March 2009, the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries began a yearlong subscription to OCLC's WorldCat Collection Analysis (WCA) tool, which was recommended by the associate dean of Technical Services and the assistant dean of Collections and Scholar Services. KU Libraries bases many of its collections decisions on collected data, including usage statistics, overlap analysis, and interlibrary loan statistics. The WCA was perceived as another method of collecting data to make collection development decisions. An implementation committee was appointed by the deans and led by the authors, the head of Collection Development and a social sciences librarian who had experience with the WCA at another institution. The implementation committee set institutional goals and priorities for the project as well as prepared informational documents and conducted training sessions for subject librarians. Librarians submitted reports for each of their collections. Although the project coordinators dealt with the many frustrations experienced by the subject librarians because of the flaws associated with the tool and would change the process for future WCA projects, overall, KU librarians were pleased to discover that the quality of the collections at KU is very high.