|
FAQs: Bowker's Book Analysis System
return to list of Bowker's Book Analysis System FAQ topics General Questions
What is Bowker's Book Analysis System (BBAS)?
BBAS is an online collection development tool that enables a qualitative analysis of your holdings without laborious, manual comparisons. BBAS electronically compares your collection to a core list, and provides you with reports that you can use to identify gaps and duplicates within your collection. Which core lists can BBAS compare my collection against?
BBAS uses both H.W. Wilson Standard Catalogs and Resources for College Libraries. Customers must already subscribe to one or more of the five H.W. Wilson Standard Catalogs on WilsonWeb in order to access those core collections for comparison. The RCL core list is included as part of the cost for BBAS. Can I compare against both the Wilson and RCL core lists?
Yes. For a more comprehensive analysis of your collection, BBAS gives you the opportunity to compare your collection against both Wilson and RCL at the same time. As mentioned above, libraries wishing to compare their collection to H.W. Wilson Standard Catalogs must subscribe to WilsonWeb. Why do I need a Book Analysis System?
2006 saw book production rise to over 291,000 new titles published annually. The number of publishers also continues to rise -- reaching over 372,000 in 2006. Meanwhile, the number of books reviewed over the past 10 years has only increased 8%. For a librarian who is trying to determine the most appropriate books for their collection, in the face of shrinking budgets and rising book costs, it has become increasingly more difficult to determine where your money should best be spent. Which criteria does BBAS use to compare to my collection?
BBAS uses four matching methods to compare your collection to the core list: 1) ISBN; 2) LCCN & Title & Author; 3) Title & Author; or 4) LCCN & Title. Depending on the core list selected, reports are then grouped by Dewey Decimal classification, LC classification, or RCL taxonomy. How do I subscribe to Bowker's Book Analysis System?
A one year subscription to BBAS requires subscription access to BooksInPrint.com or GlobalBooksInPrint.com. For a special price, pre-existing subscribers to BooksInPrint.com or GlobalBooksInPrint.com can add BBAS to their subscription as an upgrade. Since your catalog and the core lists are updated regularly, once subscribed, you can feel free to run an analysis as many times as you like throughout the year to consistently maintain the integrity of your core collection. Can I see a preview of BBAS in action?
Yes. Just visit the BBAS website and choose one of the Product Previews.
|
