Peer comparisons

Discover how to create a one-to-one or one-to-many comparison and how to obtain permission to run a peer-to-peer comparison in WorldShare Collection Evaluation.

Overview

A Peer comparison allows you to compare your library's WorldCat holdings to the collections of other OCLC member libraries.

When you run a Peer comparison, you can see how many titles in your institution are unique, which are titles that your library owns and are also owned by a peer library in your comparison.

There are two types of peer comparisons that you can create:

One-to-One Peer comparison — use this comparison type to compare your institution with one peer institution
One-to-Many Peer comparison — use this comparison type to compare your institution with two or more peer institutions.

Create a one-to-one peer comparison

Before a comparison appears in the listing on the My Library page, you need to create it on the Manage Comparisons page.

Before performing this procedure, make sure that you:

Have been assigned the Collection Manager Administration role so that you can perform this procedure. If you do not see the Manage Comparisons link in the Collection Evaluation left navigation menu, then you may not have permission to create a comparison.
Obtain permission to run a peer-to-peer comparison

This comparison is generated immediately and you do not need to wait to filter and export the comparison.

When entering the information for your institution, we recommend entering a portion of the name or the symbol rather than the full institution name. For example, enter Bowling Green or BGU instead of Bowling Green State University.

Note: To move an institution, select the institution and then click the right arrow.

Select Peer from the Comparison Type drop-down list.
Enter a unique name for the comparison in the Comparison Name text field.
Enter the OCLC institution symbol or name of the institution in the Add Institution text field, then click Search.
Move one institution from the Available Institutions selection box to the Selected Institutions selection box.
In the Terms and Conditions dialog, specify whether you have permission to run the comparison.
- If you have already received permission from the library or it is on the Blanket Permissions list, click Yes.
- If you do not have permission, follow the instructions to obtain permission from a library for a comparison.

Create a one-to-many peer comparison

Before a comparison appears in the listing on the My Library page, you need to create it on the Manage Comparisons page.

Using this procedure, you can compare the holdings in your library with up to fifty other institutions.

Before performing this procedure, make sure that you have been assigned the Collection Manager Administration role so that you can perform this procedure. If you do not see the Manage Comparisons link in the Collection Evaluation left navigation menu, then you may not have permission to create a comparison.

This comparison takes approximately 24 hours to generate. After that time you will be able to filter and export the comparison.

Note: To move an institution, select the institution and then click the right arrow.

Select Peer from the Comparison Type drop-down list.
Enter a unique name for the comparison in the Comparison Name text field.
Enter the OCLC institution symbol or name of the institution in the Add Institution text field, then click Search.
Move one or more institutions from the Available Institutions selection box to the Selected Institutions selection box.
Click Create Comparison.

Blanket permission

Before you run a peer-to-peer comparison, you must have permission from the other institution. OCLC maintains a list of the institutions that have granted permission for other OCLC member institutions to create a peer-to-peer comparison. If an institution is on the blanket permissions list, then you do not need to obtain special permission to run the comparison.

Obtain permission to run a peer-to-peer comparison

Use the template below to construct your message.
Enter your return address information above the greeting.
Enter a name into the greeting.
Save the file to a directory of your choice.
Send your message.
After you have received a library's permission, send a copy of the permission to AnalyticsFeedback@oclc.org.

Sample permissions template

[Your Name]

[Your Institution]

[Your Address line 1]

[Your Address line 2]

[City], [State] [Postal code]

Dear [insert name],

Our library wishes to order an OCLC Collection Evaluation to benchmark our collection and to compare our holdings to yours. OCLC requires that we have permission from your library before proceeding with the analysis. The collection analysis will provide us with a report of the number and percentage of matches and misses between our collections, as well as a subject breakdown and title lists. The results of the analysis will be used internally and will not be shared with other institutions.

Please respond to me indicating whether we have your permission to conduct the analysis. In addition, you can also contact OCLC by e-mail (AnalyticsFeedback@oclc.org) and request to be added to the blanket permissions list. The libraries on this list permit other libraries to run peer-to peer analysis using their WorldCat holdings without obtaining formal permission.

Thank you for considering this request.