GEN: collection evaluation

[janet perry <jperry@BEMENT.NET>]

Hello all you fellow netters.  The principal of the school my children
attend stopped me at a conference the other day and asked me if I knew how
to evaluate a library collection.  I told him I would be glad to find the
information, and get it to him.  I know there was a recent discussion about
the average age of non-fiction collections, and there have been discussions
on weeding, and I will access the archives to pull those up.  What I feel
like I need is some sort of documented source about how to evaluate what is
currently in the collection.  Are there books available, or have there been
articles written recently about this topic?  I have been concerned for
years about the status of this library, and, now that I have an opportunity
to have some input, I want to do it right.  I really feel that just opinion
without something to back it up will not be enough. Any help in how to
explain that a 20 year old fiction book in perfect condition is garbage (no
one EVER read it), or how 100 good books is better than 1000 non-read books
would be appreciated.  Also, some documentation about how many thousand
different sets of encyclopedias is needed would be welcome.  I suggested a
box of matches would be a good start, and he laughed. Thank you for your
help.
Janet Perry, Librarian
Cerro Gordo CUSD 100
Cerro Gordo, IL
perrybros@hotmail.com

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