Union Catalogue Research Articles

Merging modelled and reported flood impacts in Europe in a combined flood event catalogue for 1950–2020

Abstract. Long-term trends in flood losses are regulated by multiple factors including climate variation, demographic dynamics, economic growth, land-use transitions, reservoir construction and flood risk reduction measures. The attribution of those drivers through the use of counterfactual scenarios of hazard, exposure or vulnerability first requires a good representation of historical events, including their location, their intensity and the factual circumstances in which they occurred. Here, we develop a chain of models that is capable of recreating riverine, coastal and compound floods in Europe between 1950 and 2020 that had a potential to cause significant socioeconomic impacts. This factual catalogue of almost 15 000 such events was scrutinized with historical records of flood impacts. We found that at least 10 % of them led to significant socioeconomic impacts (including fatalities) according to available sources. The model chain was able to capture events responsible for 96 % of known impacts contained in the Historical Analysis of Natural Hazards in Europe (HANZE) flood impact database in terms of persons affected and economic losses and for 81 % of fatalities. The dataset enables the study of the drivers of vulnerability and flood adaptation due to a large sample of events with historical impact data. The model chain can be further used to generate counterfactual events, especially those related to climate change and human influence on catchments.

The network of sci-tech libraries as the foundation of the national system of sci-tech information: The history, status, and prospects

The authors discuss the sci-tech libraries in historical aspect; these libraries make the key element of the national system of sci-tech information and information services and support national science and technology. They follow the dynamics of building the network of research institutions and special sci-tech libraries that replaced technical, factory and company libraries. The role of the USSR State Public Library for Science and Technology (USSR SPLS&T) is highlighted: during the Soviet era it was the country’s head sci-tech library, the main methodological center for technological libraries, interdepartmental coordinator of user services, collection development, interlibrary loan, and translation of scitech literature. The authors emphasize the importance of the national regulation of sci-tech library and information services, and their development through building the state system of sci-tech information. The authors also examine the goals of t he S PLS&T U SSR a s a research institution in the area of library and bibliographic studies; SPLS&T supported the unity of efforts within the system. The authors analyze the implementation of the national sci-tech program; within the framework of the program, the RNPLS&T acts as the head agency of the Automated System of the Russian Union Catalog in science and technology and provides for interaction of sci-tech library network and sci-tech information institutions in using the databases by associated members. The authors substantiate the need for the new national system of sci-tech information based on the laws and regulations adopted in the recent decades. They analyze the results of 2023 All-Russian monitoring of sci-tech libraries and sci-tech information centers; evaluate the capacities of sci-tech libraries for supporting corporate projects, scitech professionals and researchers.

Serials as Vital Resources: A Bird’s Eye View

Serials are important sources of information to library users. This study examines the serials management in a Law library, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS). Diverse resources aid research, learning and teaching, among these are serials. They feature as inaugural lectures, public briefings, reports, white papers, gazettes and other government publications, hazards, panels/commissions of inquiry, memoirs, findings, treaties, field trip’ reports, television or film series, body corporate statements of accounts, newspapers, conference proceedings. The role of UNESCO coupons in paying for foreign journals was briefly mentioned-though these are no longer sent to many Nigeria libraries. The compulsion for all serials editors to write to NLN for an ISSN to enhance the compilation of National Bibliographic Control, like the British Union Catalogue of Periodicals, and collective aim at ensuring a knowledge output consortia among all libraries to ‘save the bucks’ was also mentioned, this, so many of the knowledge industries do not comply with this statute, unfortunately. The paper discussed the management of serials which include: acquisitions, classification, storage and preservation. The study recommends the need for acquisitions policy reviews, staff skills, suggesting the employment of only possessors of library and information science qualifications in the libraries, preservation and conservation of serials via binding and pre-purchase quality assurance.

Developing a union catalogue of Pakistani University libraries: status, problems, and prospects

PurposeThis study aims to examine the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore, Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was developed from literature and authors’ experience. After ensuring its validity and reliability, data were collected from librarians after the census. A total of 105 librarians were approached, of whom 73 (71%) responded to the survey.FindingsUniversity libraries in Lahore are well organized, have adequate collections and information technology-literate staff, are well automated, have good internet connections, are equipped with integrated software, follow cataloguing rules and MARC standards; however, the absence of standardized software, lack of funds, absence of uniform policy, professional workload and absence of standardized vocabulary are significant challenges. Private-sector librarians reported facing more challenges. Librarians consider all prospects vital for developing a union catalogue. These prospects include the availability of relevant information, incentives to librarians, coordination with librarians, a realization that sharing is caring, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan taking initiative and librarians’ training.Research limitations/implicationsUniversity librarians in Lahore are ready to cooperate with the development of a union catalogue; however, they seek support from higher authorities, professional library associations and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first of its kind that examines the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore. It would lead to the development of a union catalogue of university libraries in Pakistan.

Gaia Focused Product Release: Sources from Service Interface Function image analysis

Context. Gaia’s readout window strategy is challenged by very dense fields in the sky. Therefore, in addition to standard Gaia observations, full Sky Mapper (SM) images were recorded for nine selected regions in the sky. A new software pipeline exploits these Service Interface Function (SIF) images of crowded fields (CFs), making use of the availability of the full two-dimensional (2D) information. This new pipeline produced half a million additional Gaia sources in the region of the omega Centauri (ω Cen) cluster, which are published with this Focused Product Release. We discuss the dedicated SIF CF data reduction pipeline, validate its data products, and introduce their Gaia archive table. Aims. Our aim is to improve the completeness of the Gaia source inventory in a very dense region in the sky, ω Cen. Methods. An adapted version of Gaia’s Source Detection and Image Parameter Determination software located sources in the 2D SIF CF images. These source detections were clustered and assigned to new SIF CF or existing Gaia sources by Gaia s cross-match software. For the new sources, astrometry was calculated using the Astrometric Global Iterative Solution software, and photometry was obtained in the Gaia DR3 reference system. We validated the results by comparing them to the public Gaia DR3 catalogue and external Hubble Space Telescope data. Results. With this Focused Product Release, 526 587 new sources have been added to the Gaia catalogue in ω Cen. Apart from positions and brightnesses, the additional catalogue contains parallaxes and proper motions, but no meaningful colour information. While SIF CF source parameters generally have a lower precision than nominal Gaia sources, in the cluster centre they increase the depth of the combined catalogue by three magnitudes and improve the source density by a factor of ten. Conclusions. This first SIF CF data publication already adds great value to the Gaia catalogue. It demonstrates what to expect for the fourth Gaia catalogue, which will contain additional sources for all nine SIF CF regions.

Erasmus+ Projects in Libraries: The ADELE and BIBLIO Projects

The Central Institute for the Union Catalogue of Italian Libraries, ICCU, has a long traditionwithin European projects and in recent years has been involved as a partner in two Erasmus+projects on librarians' skills and self-assessment: BIBLIO (Boosting digital skills andcompetencies for librarians in Europe) and ADELE (Advancing Digital Empowerment ofLibraries in Europe). The two projects are developing their activities in the context of publiclibraries, but their results may also be useful and applicable in the context of school librariesas they concern librarians' skills and libraries' digital strategies.

Optical and Infrared Counterparts of the X-Ray Sources Detected in the Chandra Cygnus OB2 Legacy Survey

The young massive OB association Cygnus OB2, in the Cygnus X complex, is the closest (∼1400 pc) star-forming region to the Sun hosting thousands of young low-mass stars and up to 1000 OB stars, among which are some of the most massive stars known in our Galaxy. This region holds great importance for several fields of modern astrophysics, such as the study of the physical properties of massive and young low-mass stars and the feedback provided by massive stars on star and planet formation processes. Cyg OB2 has been recently observed with Chandra/ACIS-I as part of the 1.08 Ms Chandra Cygnus OB2 Legacy Project. This survey detected 7924 X-ray sources in a square degree area centered on Cyg OB2. Since a proper classification and study of the observed X-ray sources also requires the analysis of their optical and infrared counterparts, we combined a large and deep set of optical and infrared catalogs available for this region with our new X-ray catalog. In this paper we describe the matching procedure and present the combined catalog containing 5703 sources. We also briefly discuss the nature of the X-ray sources with optical and infrared counterparts using their position in the color–magnitude and color–color diagrams.

An investigation of linked data catalogue features in libraries, archives, and museums: a checklist approach

PurposeIn this study, the distinctive functional features of linked data (LD) catalogues were investigated to contrast with existing online public access catalogues (OPACs) and discovery systems using a checklist approach. The checklist was derived from a literature review and is composed of 10 items as follows: self-descriptive and dynamic content for resource description, linkage to external LD sources and online services, aggregation of knowledge contexts into knowledge graphs (KGs), URI-based link discovery, representation and query of LD relationships, URI-based serendipitous discovery, keyword recommendation, faceted limitation and browsing, visualization and openness of data.Design/methodology/approachTen functional features derived from the literature were checked against existing LD catalogues offered by libraries, archives and museums (LAMs). The LD catalogues were regarded as qualified subjects if they offered functional features that were distinct from current OPACs and discovery systems through URI-based enrichment and aggregation from various LD sources. In addition to individual organizations, LD union catalogues were also included. However, LD hubs, such as ISNI, OCLC WorldCat Entities, VIAF and Wikidata, were excluded. In total, six LD catalogues from LAMs were selected as subjects for examination.FindingsFirst, LD catalogues provide similar KG information through URI combination, and KGs also facilitate information serendipity, including social-document, intellectual, conceptual, spatial and temporal contexts and networks of corporate bodies, persons and families (CPFs). Second, LD catalogues have transformed the “seek first and browse later” paradigm into a “seek or browse” paradigm by refreshing the browsing function of traditional card catalogues with preview and new options to facilitate LD identification and discovery. Third, LD catalogues have refined keyword recommendation with the addition of the following fields: person’s title, CPF relationships, entity type and LD source. Lastly, a virtual union LD catalogue is offered.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed checklist revealed the unique/improved functional features of LD catalogues, allowing further investigation and comparison. More cases from the fields of medicine, engineering science and so on will be required to make revisions to fine-tune the proposed checklist approach.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to propose a checklist of functional features for LD catalogues and examine what the results and features of LD catalogues have achieved and are supported by from ontologies across LAMs. The findings suggest that LD provides a viable alternative to catalogues. The proposed checklist and results pave the way for the future development of LD catalogues and next-generation catalogues and also provide a basis for the future study of LD catalogues from other fields to refine the proposed checklist.

Wikibase Model for Premodern Manuscript Metadata Harmonization, Linked Data Integration, and Discovery

To facilitate discovery of premodern manuscripts in U.S. memory institutions, Digital Scriptorium, a growing consortium of over 35 institutional members representing American libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions, has developed a digital platform for an online national union catalog. The platform will allow low-barrier and efficient collection, aggregation, and enrichment of member metadata and sustainably publish it as Linked Open Data. This article describes the methods and principles behind the data model development and the decision to use Wikibase. The results of the prototype implementation and testing phase demonstrate the practicality and sustainability of Digital Scriptorium’s approach to building an online national union catalog based on Linked Open Data technologies and practices.

KUOPIO 2022: The application of the MARC 583 “action note” in Austria and Germany

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to present the implementation process in Germany and Austria of MARC 583 as an example for a supraregional cooperative library workflow in the fields of preservation and archiving.Design/methodology/approachBased upon PDA: Terminology, the MARC 583 “Action note” data element for inventory preservation and archiving was implemented in all library union catalogues in Germany and Austria. Strong cooperation in the Consortium of Library Networks has been a precondition for the introduction of MARC 583 in 2019. Using German Union Catalogue of Serials – Zeitschriftendatenbank as an example, areas of cooperative collaboration at the regional, supraregional, and national levels are explained.FindingsMARC 583 allows the union catalogues to provide sustainable and transparent information about digitization, filming, mass deacidifation, and archiving measures and the participating libraries to save resources in these fields of “action.”Originality/value An example for the implementation of PDA: Terminology originates in the Anglo-American library world. This article describes the implementation of a workflow in two German-speaking countries with different approaches and projects.

Rudolf Smits at the Library of Congress: Bibliographer for Slavic, Soviet and Eastern European Studies, 1941-1972

ABSTRACT Rudolf Smits (1907–1972) was a Latvian diplomat stranded in the United States after the Soviet invasion of his country in 1941. Seeking new employment, he began work at the Library of Congress later that same year. Smits labored on a number of projects in the area of government and periodical bibliography, but he found his unique place in the library profession in the creation of bibliographies and union catalogs of Soviet publications. The bibliographies and catalogs were funded by various government agencies as a result of the intensive U.S. Cold War interest in the Soviet Union. This article traces the biography and career of Rudolf Smits with a discussion of several key Slavic reference tools developed by Smits or under his supervision, including the Cyrillic Union Catalog, the Monthly List of Russian Accessions and Half a Century of Soviet Serials.

Constraining the LyC escape fraction from LEGUS star clusters with SIGNALS H ii region observations: a pilot study of NGC 628

ABSTRACT The ionizing radiation of young and massive stars is a crucial form of stellar feedback. Most ionizing (Lyman-continuum; LyC, λ < 912Å) photons are absorbed close to the stars that produce them, forming compact H ii regions, but some escape into the wider galaxy. Quantifying the fraction of LyC photons that escape is an open problem. In this work, we present a seminovel method to estimate the escape fraction by combining broadband photometry of star clusters from the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) with H ii regions observed by the Star formation, Ionized gas, and Nebular Abundances Legacy Survey (SIGNALS) in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628. We first assess the completeness of the combined catalogue, and find that 49 per cent of H ii regions lack corresponding star clusters as a result of a difference in the sensitivities of the LEGUS and SIGNALS surveys. For H ii regions that do have matching clusters, we infer the escape fraction from the difference between the ionizing power required to produce the observed H ii luminosity and the predicted ionizing photon output of their host star clusters; the latter is computed using a combination of LEGUS photometric observations and a stochastic stellar population synthesis code slug (Stochastically Lighting Up Galaxies). Overall, we find an escape fraction of ${f}_{\textrm {esc}}= 0.09^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$ across our sample of 42 H ii regions; in particular, we find H ii regions with high fesc are predominantly regions with low $\operatorname{H\alpha }$-luminosity. We also report possible correlation between fesc and the emission lines $\rm [O\, \rm {\small II}]/[N\, \rm {\small II}]$ and $\rm [O\, \rm {\small II}]/H\beta$.

HEROES: The Hawaii eROSITA Ecliptic Pole Survey Catalog

We present a seven-band (g, r, i, z, y, NB816, NB921) catalog derived from a Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) imaging survey of the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP). The survey, known as HEROES, consists of 44 deg2 of contiguous imaging reaching median 5σ depths of g: 26.5, r: 26.2, i: 25.7, z: 25.1, y: 23.9, NB816: 24.4, and NB921: 24.4 mag. We reduced these data with the HSC pipeline software hscPipe, and produced a resulting multiband catalog containing over 25 million objects. We provide the catalog in three formats: (1) a collection of hscPipe format forced photometry catalogs, (2) a single combined catalog containing every object in that data set with selected useful columns, and (3) a smaller variation of the combined catalog with only essential columns for basic analysis or low-memory machines. The catalog uses all the available HSC data on the NEP and may serve as the primary optical catalog for current and future NEP deep fields from instruments and observatories such as SCUBA-2, eROSITA, Spitzer, Euclid, and JWST.

Movements of humpback whales in Oceania, South Pacific

To investigate movements of humpback whales among breeding and migratory areas of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean, comparisons of individually identified whales were undertaken using catalogues from New Caledonia, Tonga, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia. These locations probably represent wintering grounds or migratory areas for the Group V and VI stocks, as recognised by the International Whaling Commission for management purposes. Comparisons were also made to small samples of photos from Colombia, Ecuador and the Antarctic Peninsula, representing wintering and feeding grounds of the Group I stock. Overall, the combined catalogues contained photographs of 912 individual whales, 767 of which were from Oceania. Twelve fluke matches were made, indicating movement between the following areas: New Caledonia and New Zealand (2); New Caledonia and Tonga (6, plus one made by dorsal fin); Tonga and the Cook Islands (2); the Cook Islands and French Polynesia (1, plus one made by dorsal fin); and between Ecuador and the Antarctic Peninsula (1). These results add to previously known connections between eastern Australia and the westerly component of Oceania (New Caledonia, Tonga and New Zealand). The data also suggest little movement between Oceania and Area I (western South America and the Antarctic Peninsula), although sample sizes for the latter region were too small to conclude this with certainty. The documented movement of some whales among portions of Oceania indicates that stock assessments based on combining regional estimates of abundance are likely to be positively biased, although this may be countered by problems of heterogeneity in sampling effort and whale distribution. In contrast with the recovery exhibited in Area IV and in the western portion of Area V, humpback whale abundance appears to remain low in Oceania, presumably because of overexploitation in the feeding grounds of Area VI and the easterly component of Area V.

The MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey: Homogeneous continuum catalogues towards a measurement of the cosmic radio dipole

The number counts of homogeneous samples of radio sources are a tried and true method of probing the large-scale structure of the Universe, as most radio sources outside the Galactic plane are at cosmological distances. As such, they are expected to trace the cosmic radio dipole, an anisotropy analogous to the dipole seen in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Results have shown that although the cosmic radio dipole matches the direction of the CMB dipole, it has a significantly larger amplitude. This unexplained result challenges our assumption of the Universe being isotropic, which can have large repercussions for the current cosmological paradigm. Though significant measurements have been made, sensitivity to the radio dipole is generally hampered by systematic effects that can cause large biases in the measurement. Here we assess these systematics with data from the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS), a blind search for absorption lines with pointings centred on bright radio sources. With the sensitivity and field of view of MeerKAT, thousands of sources are observed in each pointing, allowing for the possibility of measuring the cosmic radio dipole given enough pointings. We present the analysis of ten MALS pointings, focusing on systematic effects that could lead to an inhomogeneous catalogue. We describe the calibration and creation of full band continuum images and catalogues, producing a combined catalogue containing 16 307 sources and covering 37.5 square degrees of sky down to a sensitivity of 10 μJy beam−1. We measure the completeness, purity, and flux recovery statistics for these catalogues using simulated data. We investigate different source populations in the catalogues by looking at flux densities and spectral indices and how they might influence source counts. Using the noise characteristics of the pointings, we find global measures that can be used to correct for the incompleteness of the catalogue, producing corrected number counts down to 100–200 μJy. We show that we can homogenise the catalogues and properly account for systematic effects. We determine that we can measure the dipole to 3σ significance with 100 MALS pointings.

Neural networks optimized by genetic algorithms in cosmology

The applications of artificial neural networks in the cosmological field have shone successfully during the past decade, this is due to their great ability of modeling large amounts of datasets and complex nonlinear functions. However, in some cases, their use still remains controversial because their ease of producing inaccurate results when the hyperparameters are not carefully selected. In this paper, to find the optimal combination of hyperparameters to artificial neural networks, we propose to take advantage of the genetic algorithms. As a proof of the concept, we analyze three different cosmological cases to test the performance of the architectures achieved with the genetic algorithms and compare them with the standard process, consisting of a grid with all possible configurations. First, we carry out a model-independent reconstruction of the distance modulus using a type Ia supernovae compilation. Second, the neural networks learn to infer the equation of state for the quintessence model, and finally with the data from a combined redshift catalog the neural networks predict the photometric redshift given six photometric bands (urgizy). We found that the genetic algorithms improve considerably the generation of the neural network architectures, which can ensure more confidence in their physical results because of the better performance in the metrics with respect to the grid method.

Comparative analysis of atmospheric parameters from high-resolution spectroscopic sky surveys: APOGEE, GALAH, Gaia-ESO

Context. SDSS-IV APOGEE-2, GALAH, and Gaia-ESO are high-resolution, ground-based, multi-object spectroscopic surveys providing fundamental stellar atmospheric parameters and multiple elemental abundance ratios for hundreds of thousands of stars of the Milky Way. Data from these and other surveys contribute to investigations of the history and evolution of the Galaxy. Aims. We undertake a comparison between the most recent data releases of these surveys to investigate the accuracy and precision of derived parameters by placing the abundances on an absolute scale. We also discuss the correlations in parameter and abundance differences as a function of main parameters. Uncovering the variants provides a basis to continue the efforts of future sky surveys. Methods. Quality samples from the APOGEE−GALAH (15 537 stars), APOGEE−GES (804 stars), and GALAH−GES (441 stars) overlapping catalogs were collected. We investigated the mean variants between the surveys, and linear trends were also investigated. We compared the slope of correlations and mean differences with the reported uncertainties. Results. The average and scatter of vrad, Teff, log g, [M/H], and vmicro, along with numerous species of elemental abundances in the combined catalogs, show that in general there is a good agreement between the surveys. We find large radial velocity scatters ranging from 1.3 km s−1 to 4.4 km s−1 when comparing the three surveys. We observe some weak trends (e.g., in ΔTeff vs. Δlog g for the APOGEE−GES stars) and a clear correlation in the vmicro − Δvmicro planes in the APOGEE−GALAH common sample. For [α/H], [Ti/H] (APOGEE−GALAH giants), and [Al/H] (APOGEE−GALAH dwarfs) potential strong correlations are discovered as a function of the differences in the main atmospheric parameters, and we also find weak trends for other elements. Conclusions. In general we find good agreement between the three surveys within their respective uncertainties. However, there are certain regimes in which strong variants exist, which we discuss. There are still offsets larger than 0.1 dex in the absolute abundance scales.

Shaping unified information space in industries: Problems and solutions (the case study of agro-industrial complex)

The problems of building up the single information space and industryspecific digital knowledge space are examined. The normative acts regulating and defining the creation of the unified information space of Russia, including the Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030 and the RF Presidential Decree “On the approval of the Foundations of State Policy in the strategic planning in the Russian Federation”, are discussed. The purpose of the study was to analyze the current state of the process of shaping the unified information knowledge space (UIKS) of the agroindustrial complex. To form the unified information space of the industry, it is necessary to develop and adopt regulatory documents at the industry level, unified methodological approaches, software and linguistic tools, data presentation format; to design the scheme of interaction between system participants. There are 216 research institutions (RI) operating in the agricultural industry, i. e. 181 research institutes (SRI), 35 experimental stations and 57 higher educational institutions (HEI). In 2012 by the decision of the Russian Agricultural Academy, the centralized electronic library system was created, the cornerstone of which is the Union Catalog. The joint software, linguistic tools, data presentation format, and methodological foundations also exist. However, the reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences has changed the situation, some research institutes have ceased implementing the decisions of the Russian Agricultural Academy. The formation of the UIKS of the Agro-Industrial Complex requires the relevant regulations approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and the willingness of the research institutions’ executives.

Periodika 19. století v muzejních knihovnách

The aim of the study is to provide information from the analysis of a handbook and promotional publication on museum libraries prepared by the Methodology Centre for Book Culture and Literary Museums of the Museum of Czech Literature (MC PNP) in cooperation with the Library Committee of the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries (AMG) in 2021. Information on individual museum libraries is divided into three blocks. The first of them contains the basic information on the particular library, the second outlines the history and activities of the library, and the third presents the nature of its collec­tions as well as the points of interest and unique items. Unique and rare serials of the 19th century in museum libraries have been identified and compared with records in the Serials section of the Union Catalogue of the CR.

BwLastCopies – identifying the last copy: activities in the German state of Baden-Württemberg

PurposeCooperative preservation has been an international topic for a long time. Germany’s neighbouring countries such as Austria and Switzerland have already taken measures for the cooperative preservation of printed resources. The main objective of the project bwLastCopies – which was funded by the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg in the context of the BigDIWA program – was to support cooperative preservation in Baden-Württemberg.Design/methodology/approachThe goal was realized by the automated documentation of archiving commitments and the implementation of an inventory management system for the libraries in Baden-Württemberg to help examining the potential rareness of collections.FindingsThe project showed that many titles in libraries in Baden-Württemberg are, at least in the context of Baden-Württemberg, rare. Cooperative holdings management between libraries is only possible with a clear communication on what actions should be taken when sorting something out.Originality/valueThe marking of potentially rare titles in a database as large as K10plus is valuable to the participating libraries. Because of the amount of libraries working with the union catalogue, the markings are largely reliable and give an overview on how many and which titles are potentially rare.