Sharing the Collective Wealth of Australian Research Libraries: an Overlap Study

This paper reports the results of recent research examining the holdings of Australian research library collections recorded in OCLC’s WorldCat database using the OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis software. The objectives of the research are: 1. To better understand the distribution of printed monographs amongst Australian research collections in order to assess the potential for enhanced collaboration in aspects of collection management. 2. To test the OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis software in order to ascertain its value in comparing collection data based on the Australian research libraries subset of the WorldCat database. The collections compared are the National Library of Australia; University of Melbourne; Monash University, and CAVAL Archival and Research Materials Centre. The data records the extent of overlap between collections, and the prevalence and distribution of single copies. The potential for future collaboration in managing access to legacy print collections for the benefit of research libraries and communities is discussed. The paper reflects on the use of Worldcat Collection Analysis software as a means of supporting the future management of Australian research collections. The research is intended as a pilot study.