Purpose – This research aims to examine the inclusion of biographies of presidential candidates in library collections.Design/methodology/approach – OCLC's WorldCat database was used to search for biographies of presidential candidates that were held by libraries. Only biographies from the two years preceeding and the actual year of a presidential election were included in the analyses.Findings – The results show that although candidate biographies are plentiful, most are owned by only a few libraries. Recent elections have seen the greatest number of these biographies, many of which have been produced by special interest groups. Analyses show that libraries collect these biographies without regard to party affiliation of the candidate or whether the candidate was victorious.Research limitations/implications – Only major party candidates were included in the analyses.Originality/value – Although such campaign materials may seem ephemeral, the paper shows that this material provides the raw material for fu...

The ownership of presidential campaign biographies by libraries: an empirical study

In anticipation of the arrival of the Bush Presidential Library, Texas A&M University librarians sought a method of developing a comprehensive list of the most important materials in 20th century presidential studies. The researchers began by identifying the appropriate subject headings and call number ranges relevant to presidential studies. The same subject headings and call number ranges were then examined in the OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis CD (CACD) and OCLC/EPIC databases. The number of overlaps, gaps and differences were compared and analyzed. The unique (not held by Texas A&M) bibliographic records for each database were collected and recommended for retrospective collection development purposes.

Mls Suzanne D. Gyeszly Ma

Papers

Bibliographic Data Regarding 20th Century Presidential Materials