General
OCLC Collection Analysis

Boreham Library Staff Manuals

OCLC Collection Analysis Manual

version 2007.07.26.a

Note: minor changes in menus and wording may occur with each upgrade. Just read the menu carefully and select the correct item wherever it is.
Quick Links:

Running the Comparison on OCLC Collection Development
  1. From the staffmark menu, click on the link for First Search & Collection Analysis.

  2. Enter the number and password for the Admin module (which differs from the password for Collection Analysis.)

  3. Click on the Collection Analysis tab.

  4. Enter a new group name. You have 30 characters, so use a name long enough to be useful and different.
    Use words that you will NOT search for later, if possible. For example, calling a group "ultrasound" when you need to search for "ultrasound" later in individual records, gets every record, because the group name is attached to every record.

  5. Add OCLC symbols of the librar(ies) for comparison. See some possible lists.

    1. Under Find Libraries click on Participating Institutions Search.
    2. Enter the criteria for searching for libraries.
      Zip codes are very helpful. Names are not always as useful -- abbreviate University to a search only for "univ", and be prepared to use cities and/or zip codes and such when looking.


    3. Take down the three-character symbol on the far left of the desired libraries.
  6. Enter a three-character symbol to the Add Symbols box and click on the down arrow. It will be added to the Libraries in Comparison Group box.

  7. Repeat with each symbol until done.

  8. Click on the Save button.

  9. Under the Collection Analysis > Comparisons title, it will say something like
    "Library Comparison Groups screen changes saved: Library Comparison Group added
    Note: new Library Comparison Group will be available within 7 days"

  10. Allow time for the job to go through and the results to become available for use. You can check daily (instructions below).


Selecting Records

In selecting records, bear in mind that you want records that are unique to the maximum number of other libraries (most 'popular', if you like). You also want to limit the number of records selected for a report to a reasonable number that faculty will be able to consider, as well as afford to purchase.

  1. From the staffmark menu, click on the link for First Search.

  2. Enter the number and password for Collection Analysis.

  3. Click on the Collection Analysis tab.

  4. Select the analysis you created from the Data to Analyze drop-down list and wait for it to load.

  5. Click on the Limit Analysis button.

  6. Under Library select all by using the check box.

  7. Under Holding Count select the number of libraries holding.
    This refers to how many of the other libraries hold an item (one holds, two hold, etc.) The more that hold a title, the more relevant it should be to the subject in general.
    Remember that the
  8. Under Division select the one (usually only one) which is required for the department or instructor.

  9. Under Publication Date select the year(s) of publication. Bear in mind that more recent publications have a better chance of being in print or otherwise available. The Date span is one place to limit the number of titles found if you get too many. You may need to select only a limited number of years for a search, and then return later for another date range.

  10. Under Language check the appropriate language(s).

  11. Under Format check the ones desired. This is another category which allows you to limit the number of titles selected. You may run multiple searches: one for books, one for sound recordings, etc.

  12. Under Audience check Adult.

  13. Click on Run Analysis.

  14. On the resulting screen, you have totals: the total titles selected, the number unique to the other libraries (ones we do not own), and the overlap (ones we already own).

  15. Click on the Unique column number.

  16. You will get a list of the titles matching your selections which we do NOT own.

  17. To export the titles, click on the Export button.

  18. The default is to export all records, to a tab-delimited file (tab between each field).
    Click on the Export button.

  19. You are given a choice of the program to open the file.
    Change the program to Other and then browse to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\[whatever your most recent version of Office is]\Excel.exe and click OK.

  20. Save the resulting spreadsheet under a name which explains the parameters by which you selected the titles.

  21. You may repeat the search, changing the parameters as necessary.

  22. In some narrow subjects, the results may need to be broken down into smaller subjects. See the instructions on the Change Analysis tab.

  23. If a subject cannot be broken down sufficiently, or the number of titles seems too small, it may be necessary to search WorldCat directly, rather than use the Collection Analysis system.

Change Analysis tab

The Change Analysis tab allows change of the Row Expansion Order.
It is often useful to have Division be the first level, as that will allow a break down of the divisions into smaller subject areas. This is not the default, so it may be necessary to go to this tab and change the settings.



Using Record Data in a Spreadsheet

To delete a column, click on the letter at the top of the column, then under the Edit on the toolbar, select Delete from the dropdown menu.

To move a column, click on the letter at the top of the column, hit Ctrl-C, then move to an empty column where you want to place it and use Ctrl-V to paste it.
Once the column is safely copied, you can go back and delete it from the old location.

  1. You usually have the following data in columns:
    • OCLC number - keep this to help acquisitions, but it can be moved right later
    • Title
    • Author
    • LC Call number - this column may be deleted
      •
    • Dewey Call number - this column may be moved left later and used for sorting
    • NLM Call number - this column may be deleted
      •
    • ISBN - this column may be moved right later for acquisitions
    • ISSN - this column is useful only for ordering serials
    • LCCN - this column may be deleted
      •
    • Edition - if these are all first or blank, this may be deleted
    • Imprint - this column may need to be set to Text format
    • Publisher
    • Physical Description - this column is optional unless you are checking for illustrations, etc.
      •
    • Language - this column is usually optional
      •
    • Other columns are optional.

  2. Arrange your columns as needed, and if desired (especially for long lists) sort by Dewey Call number or some other column.

  3. On the Toolbar, select File, Page Setup.

  4. Choose Header and Footer from the tabs.

  5. Select Custom Header and create the header appropriate to the spreadsheet.

  6. Choose Sheet from the tabs and click in Rows to repeat at top, then click on the number of the first row of the spreadsheet so the box reads $1:$1 .

  7. Check Gridlines to make the spreadsheet easier to read when printed.

  8. Check Over, then down to Page Order.

  9. Use Print Preview to check results.

  10. If you have lots of blank columns at the right, try deleting columns.

  11. If you still have lots of blank columns at the right, see if the last filled column, such as the ISBN numbers, need to be trimmed. A long ISBN number covering multiple columns will still cause blank columns to print on pages where it is not needed.

Remember to save your spreadsheet.

Libraries Used for Comparisons

A maximum of five libraries in any one group may be selected.

UA Fort Smith (ASZ) does not need to be added; it is compared automatically.

Arkansas

  • AFU UA Fayetteville
  • RG2 UA Fayetteville Law
  • AMK UA Monticello
  • AKB UA Pine Bluff
  • AKU UA LR
  • ALR UA LR Law
  • AKM UA LR Medical Sciences Campus
  • AHE UA LR Medical Sciences
  • AKC U Central Arkansas
  • AHS Harding U Brackett Library

Business

  • YAH Alfred University
  • ZKJ Coastal Carolina University - Kimbel
  • SEM Southeast Missouri State University
  • TXF Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi
  • THM University of Tennessee - Martin

Health

  • BXM Boston College
  • LMS Louisiana State University Health Sciences
  • IWU Texas Woman's University
  • AKM UALR Medical Sciences Campus

Important Points to Remember

Sometimes the subject requested is just not available as such. Faculty may request a heading for "entrepreneurship" or some specific medical area, and there just isn't a breakdown for that. In such cases, looking for materials by Dewey classification number for that topic is possible after the data is put into a speadsheet.

Another possibility is to simply search the topic in WorldCat; although this will mix in the title of materials already owned, those will be clearly marked.