Here’s a fascinating new paper by Brian Lavoie at OCLC Research.
From a Report Overview
Brian used WorldCat bibliographic and holdings data to identify, characterize, and track the diffusion of the Scottish presence in the published record. The report describes a repurposable, machine-processing-based methodology for identifying a country’s national presence, including materials published in the country, published by the country’s nationals, or published about the country. Scotland is employed as a case study to illustrate the methodology’s application: the salient features of the nearly two million distinct publications in the Scottish presence are discussed, along with the diffusion of these materials around the world.
Key Findings
- A national presence in the published record is composed of materials published in or about a country or by its people
- A national presence in the published record is identifiable in library data using mainly automated processing
- The Scottish presence in the published record includes nearly two million distinct publications
- The Scottish presence in the published record is widely held in library collections around the world
- Scottish authors are especially influential in global diffusion of Scottish presence in published record
- Treasure Island may be the most globally influential Scottish work in the published record
- Tartan Noir and works about/set in Scotland are key ways Scotland is manifested in contemporary works
- The national presence in the published record is a useful concept for libraries and scholars
Direct to Full Text Report (39 pages; PDF)
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