Gen: Assessing collections

["Rob W. Darrow" <rdarrow@cello.gina.calstate.edu>]

I am a new LMT at an Intermediate School.  I have heard many indirect comments
from teachers at my school since taking this job that we don't have this book
or that book or we don't have enough books..... I'm looking for a way to assess
the collections we do have...both fiction and non-fiction.  Is there an
instrument to do this?  Is there a methodical way for a new LMT to assess a
collection short of browsing all the stacks?  Then, of course, I will develop a
plan to purchase these types of books.....If this has already been discussed,
please point me to the months it has been discussed in the past and I'll check
the archives.