Our Services

• ARPs
• Cataloguing Services
• Collection and Process Analysis
• Mass Market Paperback

• Catalogues and Selection Tools
• World Languages/Multilingual Materials
• AV Materials
• Bulk/Consortium Pricing

• Processing Services
• Graphic Novels and Comics
• Branch Building / Expansion Services
• Ordering and Budget Management            

Automatic Release Plans (ARPs)

No two library collections are the same, and no two ARPs should be either. LSC’s selection specialists work with your collection development team to build a profile that fits your individual needs. ARPs are available for every material type we offer, and can be altered or adjusted at any time.

Our Selectors use their years of experience to fulfill your profiles, aided by, but not relying on, sales data and predictive computer models. Only a human can meet the nuance of a library's needs, and that's what we provide.

To see examples of ARP profiles, or discuss transitioning to an LSC ARP, please click here to contact us. 

Catalogues and Selection Tools

LSC produces hundreds of selection lists annually, based on trends, publisher announcements, and requests from clients. If there is a topic or subject area you would like a list developed for, to aid in your selection, all you need to do is ask. Lists contain relevant, high-quality, and popular materials and can be tailored to suit your library’s needs. 

Triannually, LSC produces our Notables catalogues, featuring the Best and Solid Sellers in both Adult and Children’s materials for the coming publication period. These catalogues are assembled by committees of working Ontario librarians, backed by LSC selection specialist’s expertise. These catalogues are available digitally via Issuu, as physcial catalogues, and as a selection list.

To request a unique selection list, or to inquire about our Notables committees, please please click here to contact us.

Processing Services

LSC’s well-honed processes allow for a high degree of customization, exceptional pricing, and consistent high quality. We will fulfill any level of completion between out-of-the-box and shelf ready. We work with libraries to develop a processing profile that matches your existing processing standards.

We can also recommend efficiencies to your profile, to cut out redundancies and save you money. Our processing teams are assigned to specific libraries to maximize speed and consistency and minimize error rates, which currently sit at 1% or less. We can also provide high quality customizations, such as:

• Customized A/V inserts, with library logo and barcode printed directly on material
• LSC's Master Integrated Label allows for customized label information, orientation, and locations
• RFID encoding

To request samples and/or a quote, please please click here to contact us.

Fixed-Price Processing Plan (FPP)

LSC is pleased to offer an optional payment plan, which allows the Library to plan for almost all processing costs on an annual basis rather than a per-unit basis. Instead of having to coordinate both an acquisitions and processing budget on every single purchase throughout the year, the FPPP allows you to set a processing budget at the start of the year. This flat-fee allows libraries to make substantial savings, and to track your budget with a higher degree of certainty.

To learn more about the FPP, please please click here to contact us.

Special Projects

LSC is about serving the needs of all libraries, and all materials. We are able to provide cataloguing to material not purchased through us. Pricing is set at a cost-recovery rate.

Indigenous Subject Headings

As of Jan 2021, all appropriate materials will be catalogued with new, respectful Indigenous subject headings. 

World Languages / Multilingual Material

Canadians speak in diverse voices. LSC can provide materials in more than 40 different international and Indigenous languages. LSC offers industry-best multilingual services to assist libraries in building, developing and maintaining multilingual collections, via ARP. Multilingual items ship at regular intervals rather than infrequent bulk shipments. For select languages which do not use the Latin alphabet, original script is also available in the MARC records, increasing your patron’s ability to locate the item in your catalogue, and with transliteration labels to help library staff. All multilingual material sourced through LSC include cover art at no additional charge. 

French Language Material

LSC is dedicated to providing materials for all Canadians. Selection of modern, best-selling, and in-demand French materials is a priority. LSC retrieves complete title information from all major French language suppliers in Canada. This allows us to offer a robust French material selection, and cultivate the materials most relevant to you.

For information on availability of languages or to set up a ML ARP, please please click here to contact us.

Graphic Novels and Comics

Graphic Novels have become one of the most popular and rapidly growing collections in public libraries. Whether you do your own selection, want a full ARP, or would just like some suggestions, LSC provides the full range of products and services for graphic novels collections. We deal with publishers, not distributors, and can offer industry best pricing and selection for all types of graphic novels at all age levels.

LSC is also able to offer Comic Book subscriptions, modeled after a serial subscription.

Graphic Novel services include:

• Spine labels cuttered to series or title rather than author, for shelf consistency
• Review of content for suitability of age group, as defined by you
• Branch level management of series titles
• Series tracking and backfill
• Holds queue management

For more information on Comics, or for custom selection lists, please click here to contact us.

Collection and Process Analysis

LSC is happy to provide, at no cost to Canadian public libraries, several detailed analysis or consultancy services. We do this as a function of our not-for-profit status, and as a corporation owned by public libraries. These analysis include:

• From Selection to Shelf: LSC provides libraries with meaningful evaluations of how the library selects, orders, receives, catalogues, and processes material.  This will help management address library concerns of resource allocation, delivery methods, as well as departmental design and purpose.
• Circ Pulse: circulation analysis comparing circulation data across branches, collections, years, etc. This data is compared against the cost of materials and a report detailing where the greatest value for your collection development lies.
• Pricing Analysis: a tool providing libraries with a material cost analysis, to ensure budgets are being spent most effectively. 
• RFP Construction: is your library planning to write an RFP in the future? LSC can provide direction to you reagrding the clarity of your requests, to ensure you are asking for what you actually need, and will get the best response from potential applicants. 

For more information on our consultancy services, please click here to contact us.

AV Materials

LSC provides the full range of AV materials: DVDs/Blu-rays, Music CDs, and Video Games for all current generations of console. DVDs are in our catalogue and available for pre-order the day they are released in theatres. All our AV materials is available to be repackaged for security, shelf friendliness, or durability. The case inserts can be personalized with the Library logo and barcode directly on the item, no labeling. And DVD/Blu-ray combo packs, which are often the more cost effective purchase or the only option available, can be split into two circulating items, each with a distinct On-Order MARC record, MARC record, and barcode to allow for maximum budget efficiency.

For more information on our AV services, please click here to contact us.

In accordance with the Film Classification Act, 2005 (FCA) Ontario Regulation 452/05, LSC operates film distribution via Ontario Film Authority license #4707937 as a Class A Distributor. 

Branch Building / Expansion Services

Opening a new branch is a long, stressful experience. LSC wants to take as much stress off of the library as possible, and make it so, when that ribbon is cut and those doors open, you are as excited as the patrons. For over twenty years, LSC has excelled at collection development for branch builds and expansions. Working together with libraries, we develop a profile for the new branch. Every branch is as different as the neighbourhoods they serve, and changing demographics means a “one collection fits all” approach will not work. 

A cornerstone of our branch building service is the shelf readiness of the material. Not only can the books be processed, barcoded, and linked to records preloaded into the ILS, but the books can be physically sorted and delivered in exact shelf order. Stocking is literally as easy as opening the box and putting the items directly on the shelf. This rapid placement saves significant time, and can alleviate a lot of stress in the crunch time before an opening day. LSC understands that things beyond your control can change. We store all material at LSC until the new building is ready to receive, saving you from having to find storage space if a delay occurs. 

For more information on our Branch Build services, please click here to contact us.

Ordering and Budget Management

LSC’s website is a powerful tool. The ordering catalogue has been built in-house by our programmers, not mirrored or licensed from a third party or American source. Searching and ordering items is clean and efficient, and allows for branch level allocations via fund codes. Usable for multiple concurrent users and able to generate various reports for outstanding orders, cancellations, and invoices, which can be saved in a variety of convenient formats. LSC provides Budget Management tools allow direct purchase libraries to accurately track dollars committed, dollars spent, and projected dollars expended to the end of the fiscal year. This allows library staff to track pre-orders across multiple budgetary years. 

For a demo or for training on our ordering system, please click here to contact us.

Mass Market Paperbacks

On average there are 240 mass market titles published every month.  It can be a challenge and a huge time constraint to source these without going through multiple websites, publisher packages, and catalogues. LSC has long offered a comprehensive and customizable Mass Market Paperback service, with materials available for Adult, Teen, and Juvenile collections. These titles are available via Automatic Release Plan (ARP) or direct selection, and available with full cataloguing and processing if so desired. With some exceptions, the majority of mass market items would qualify for full trade discount, and arriving in weekly shipments.

LSC compiles all mass market titles into a monthly catalogue. This catalogue lists titles two months in advance of their publication date. Via LSC's service, title specific and series ordering is possible. We manage existing series by working with the library catalogue and LSCs database for previous titles ordered. Based on the profile of each specific library, we are able to order at the branch level to continue series that have previously been purchased. 

For more information on Mass Market Paperbacks, or custom selection lists, please click here to contact us.

• Purchases high quantities of single titles
• Purchases common titles and material types
• Provides a uniform processing profile for all members
• Has items shipped to a single location

• Higher discounts
• Lower costs for processing
• Free shipping
• MARC records with predetermined customizations