(De)constructing a Core List of Serials -- A Case Study with German Studies Journals

The task of managing the serials collection for a specific discipline could be made easier if it were possible to establish a list of core journals. To date, no one has produced a core list of journals for German Studies; the very concept begins to seem illusory. This study explores the use of WorldCat holdings to measure consensus, defined as those journals that are the most widely held within the field of German Studies. Final results are useful specifically to Germanic bibliographers who are working with different budget considerations or faced with a mandated cancellation. This model could be applied to other disciplines. A visual presentation of serials holdings, shown in the Appendix, will be a useful tool for collaborative work in building serials collections.