Planning documents used by Learning Resources Center (LRC) administrators in the League for Innovation in the Community College

The purpose of this study is to identify useful planning documents by examining planning resources that are used by Learning Resources Center (LRC) administrators in The League for Innovation in the Community College (The League), an organization that is respected for innovation and technology. For library administrators a paramount problem is determining the most appropriate information to use in planning and decision-making. The collections of planning documents used by LRC administrators vary from institution to institution and there seem to be no standardized sets of planning documents available. A “Planning Questionnaire” based on a list of planning resources published in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools's Resource Manual on Institutional Effectiveness was developed. The survey instrument was mailed to fifty-eight library administrators at member institutions of The League, and to twelve library administrators comprising a group, The Council of Academic Librarians and Learning Resources (CALLR). Thirty administrators from The League and ten administrators from CALLR responded.; Data indicate that library administrators from The League and CALLR use similar resources for planning. Library administrators at The League institutions use more documents that have a greater impact on the parent institution than do the administrators in CALLR libraries. The administrators at CALLR libraries use documents that are required for external reporting purposes.; The most obvious observation in the study is the low level of usefulness LRC administrators find with Studies of Student Performance.