Sagebrush Corp. Releases New BenchMARC Collection-Development Reporting Service.

Sagebrush Corp., a solutions provider for the library and education markets, has announced the release of BenchMARC, a new service designed to help school media specialists with the task of collection development. BenchMARC users submit their MARC records online, then receive free entry-level reports. They can then choose more in-depth subscription reports that evaluate different aspects of the collection. BenchMARC users also have access to library experts to assist with collection development.

"With BenchMARC, Sagebrush Corp. is now in a position to help all school libraries," said Jim Zicarelli, Sagebrush CEO. "BenchMARC is a unique collection-development tool, delivered over the Internet. Reporting on collection areas is immediate, and includes a summary of the collection, detailed call number reporting, collection age, and graphical historical comparisons."

BenchMARC features easy-to-use reporting aimed at both the novice and experienced school librarian. These comprehensive yet understandable reports compare a library collection to a standard based on award-winning libraries. This standard is an unbiased measurement that can be used when seeking library funding or when ordering new materials. And to help with new-material ordering, BenchMARC includes a list of reviewed items that can bring the library collection closer to the standard. A technical support staff of experts with library experience and formal education in library science is available to assist in library collection-development planning. BenchMARC can be used with any automation system capable of exporting MARC records.

BenchMARC is available online at http://www.benchmarcyourlibrary.com, and will be demonstrated at upcoming trade shows. Free baseline reporting is available to all school librarians, and enhanced reports are available to subscribed users.