Evaluating our library collections allows us to ensure that the collection meets the needs of students, support teaching learning programs, is balanced and inclusive and relevant to the school community. Ensuring that a range of resources are available for the topics covered by the school is key. A collection may be considered successful if it meets the goals it sets out to achieve (Johnson, 2018). It is therefore important before beginning an evaluation, to have clear criteria for the goals for the collection (Johnson, 2018).
The steps involved in reviewing collections include:
Preparing for review
- Reviewing and revising your community profile
- Identifying the current needs of the community
- Speaking with teachers about the topics they will be teaching
- Speaking with teachers about student interests and reading levels
- Identifying the goals for the collection
- Weed the collection to ensure up to date resources which reflect the diverse community of your school and their needs. For tips and weeding inspiration from Library Girl, click here.
Assessing the collection, asking the questions
- What does the library have?
- What is needed?
- Where are there gaps in the collection?
- How does the current collection reflect the goals set out for the collection?
- Which books need replacing?
- Which books are popular and may need more copies?
Taking action
- Purchase new titles using your selection criteria (see post on selection criteria)
- Plan for future budgeting using the results
Information for this checklist was found here Assessing your school library collection on the National Library, New Zealand website.
This page includes a collection assessment chart for use.
Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of collection development and management. American Library Association.