Systems and Methods for Predictively Managing Collections of Items

Libraries are collections of books, periodicals, and other items that can be read in situ, checked out by patrons, and shared with other libraries. Collections are more useful when the items in the collection reflect user interests. Cluster analysis of the collection can be juxtaposed with cluster analysis of items taken from, borrowed from, or requested from the collection. The juxtaposition reveals differences between the collection and the user's desired collection. The collection can also be adapted to meet expected future needs by predicting future user needs based on past user behavior.