Holland College

Welcome to the Library


Assess Your Collection Needs

Whether your program is new or established, Library Services can help you develop a great collection of supporting materials.

We start by looking at your curriculum and then assessing your collection needs in terms of their "fit" with your current or desired:
  • subject areas and skill requirements
  • learning styles
  • learning environment (practical, theoretical, etc.)
  • level of materials (introductory, intermediate, etc.)
  • volume of materials
  • cyclical patterns of use
  • relationship with other College programs
  • accreditation requirements
  • articulation agreements
  • blend of physical and digital materials
  • information seeking patterns of learners in your program and your occupational area
Collection assessment, like curricular analysis, is an ongoing task and requires regular attention. To help you with this process, we can prepare reports that analyse your collection on the basis of factors such as circulation (actual usage), subject strengths and weaknesses, volume, and age of materials.  

In addition, we can help you optimize access, manage your collection, and make the best possible use of budget dollars.  For example, we can set up reserve collections or modify standard loan periods for high-demand items, integrate online materials, and set up off-campus access for protected (licensed) digital collections.  To help develop budgetary plans, we assess factors such as the average per item cost of materials in your field, the average "shelf life" of materials, and the student-to-item ratio of the collection.

If you would like to schedule analytical reports or need help with your collection plan, please contact  your library liaison officer.