Regarding the productive use of a Standing Order service for new book acquisition depends on a number of factors specific to the school library. For example, it my own brand-new school library (6 months old), with a new book count of approximately 2,300 books (aiming to reach upwards of 17k within the next few years), I have had a relatively large budget and am constantly purchasing new titles. In this instance, the relatively ‘few’ titles that would come in as a standing order would likely overlap the new and up-to-date purchases that I am consistently making.
However, once the general bulk of the library collection has been established, a Standing Order would have potential benefits. They include: receiving a selection of books on a regular basis, which covers a variety of topics and varied age suitability (that I may have overlooked.) These books would have been carefully curated and reviewed for an Australian context and considered against curriculum outcomes. Most significant as a benefit of a Standing Order is the time saved for the teacher librarian in researching, selecting and acquiring new titles. However, this can also be a negative also! (And I personally love the time spent looking through and selecting new titles!)
At times, books acquired through Standing Orders may be irrelevant to the particular school context. Yes, they can be returned, however this adds a layer of hassle and inconvenience. Another negative is that Standing Orders may not fit particular curriculum areas that need fleshing out in the school’s collection, therefore reducing the overall budgeting allowance to be able to do so. Also, books are also usually more expensive than purchasing through other channels.