Collective Collection
Libraries are embedded in an increasingly complex network of information supply and demand. Our goal is to provide evidence and insight to libraries as they organize collections and services within this changing network environment.
Our research agenda aims to improve our understanding of the factors that guide institutions in their sourcing and scaling choices as they seek maximum impact and efficient provision of library collections and services. Our work explores three related areas:
Publications
Reflections on Collective Collections
16 January 2020
Brian Lavoie, Lorcan Dempsey, Constance Malpas
Collective collections are the combined holdings of a group of libraries, analyzed and possibly managed as a unified resource. Constructing, understanding, and operationalizing collective collections is an increasingly important aspect of collection management for many libraries. This article presents some general insights about collective collections, drawn from a series of studies conducted by OCLC.
The US and Canadian Collective Print Book Collection: A 2019 Snapshot
26 September 2019
Brian Lavoie
In this position paper, Lavoie traces the contours of the US and Canadian collective print book collection—the collective print book holdings of all libraries in the US and Canada whose collections are registered in WorldCat. The paper examines the US/Canadian collective print book collection for insight and trends and includes a new rendering of the mega-regional map of US/Canadian Collective Print Book Collections.
Maple Leaves: Discovering Canada through the Published Record
21 May 2019
Brian Lavoie
OCLC Research identified 10.9 million Canadian publications using WorldCat and mapped this information with Wikidata to trace shifting cultural patterns over time. This report analyzes distinctive features of Canadian publications to examine the Canadian influence on the collective public record.
An Exploration of the Irish Presence in the Published Record
20 February 2018
Brian Lavoie, Lorcan Dempsey
OCLC Research identified more than 1.6 million distinct Irish publications using library collections data in WorldCat and mapped this information with DBpedia to trace shifting cultural patterns over time. This report analyzes distinctive features of Irish publications to examine the Irish influence on the collective public record.
Kiwis in the Collection: The New Zealand Presence in the Published Record
13 October 2014
Brian Lavoie
Right-scaling Stewardship: A Multi-scale Perspective on Cooperative Print Management
25 March 2014
Constance Malpas, Brian Lavoie
Understanding the Collective Collection: Towards a System-wide Perspective on Library Print Collections
12 December 2013
Lorcan Dempsey, Brian Lavoie, Constance Malpas, Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Roger C. Schonfeld, JD Shipengrover, +
Not Scotch, but Rum: The Scope and Diffusion of the Scottish Presence in the Published Record
17 September 2013
Brian Lavoie
Print Management at "Mega-scale": A Regional Perspective on Print Book Collections in North America
17 July 2012
Brian Lavoie, Constance Malpas, JD Shipengrover
The Top 25 US Public Libraries' Collective Collection, as Represented in WorldCat
15 November 2011