Like many other libraries, we strive to balance increasing access with protecting our community's investment in our collection.

Today, I had a conversation with our circulation manager about the expected amount of lost or stolen materials as a routine part of library operations. I was hoping to find an established benchmark (e.g., libraries typically lose X% of their collection value annually), but so far, I haven’t come across anything definitive.

Has anyone else looked into this or found useful data on this topic?

Having a benchmark would help us assess whether our current loss levels are within a reasonable range or if they indicate a need to adjust our policies or security measures.

Any insights or resources you can share would be greatly appreciated.