Skip to Main Content
Lansing Community College Library

Collection Management: Assessment

This guide is a one-stop-shop for librarians and staff to learn more about the Library's collection development guidelines and how to develop, manage, and evaluate our collections to support student success at LCC.

Overview of Collection Assessment

Collection assessment aims to determine how well the collection supports the goals, needs,and mission of the library or parent organization. It provides a better understanding of the collection and the user community. Librarians gain valuable information that helps them decide if a collection is meeting it's objectives, how well it is serving users, in which ways or areas it is deficient, and what remains to be done to develop it. --- From Collection Development and Management, 3rd edition by Peggy Johnson

Recommended Readings

Collection Assessment Schedule

Collection Assessment Schedule
Collection Review Type Description Frequency Date(s) of Last Review Recommended Date of Next Review
General Collection

Data-driven collection review of print books done in partnership with Sustainable Collection Services (SCS) that resulted in the weeding of about 28,000 items. 

 Every 5 years  May 2012

Continuing review

 

 

Standing Orders (General Reference)

Review of the print reference standing orders.

 Every 3 years

Spring 2011, Spring 2015

Spring 2018

 Spring 2021

 

Standing Orders (Series)

Review of the print series standing orders.

 Every 3 years

Fall 2012

Spring 2015

Spring 2018

 Spring 2021

 

Standing Orders (Law)

Review of the print law-related standing orders.

 Every 3 years

Fall 2013

Spring 2015

 Spring 2019

 

Print Reference Collection

 Comprehensive review of print reference titles. Every 3 years

Spring 2015

Spring 2018

 Spring 2021

 

Electronic Reference Collection

 Purchased reference collection such as GVRL, GDL Every 3 years   Fall 2018

Print Periodicals Collection

 Review of print periodicals subscriptions Every 2 or 3 years

 

Spring 2010, Spring 2014

Spring 2017

 Spring 2019

E-Book Collection

 

Comprehensive assessment of the e-book collection usage (purchased, subscription, and PDA)

 Every 2 years Spring 2016 Spring 2019

Databases/Electronic Resources

 

 Review of the Library's databases and online resources subscriptions including software and services.  Annually January 2018 January 2019