Weeding is the process of removing materials from a library collection that are no longer useful or relevant. It is necessary to keep collections current and ensure materials are circulating, but it can be a time-consuming and controversial process. Common fears about weeding include it being viewed as throwing away books or making mistakes in decisions. When weeding, factors like currency, circulation, condition, duplication and format obsolescence should be considered. Materials removed may be donated, recycled or sold to generate revenue. Weeding helps free up space and staff time while ensuring the collection meets the needs of its users.
7. Fears and misconceptions Viewed as a time consuming effort Librarians do not want to throw away books for the sake of keeping the literature Items that may have market value could be removed without any other thought Afraid of making mistakes in their decisions Perception to the patrons if not handled properly Often at the bottom of the list because it is not seen as a priority Lack of real training so librarians avoid the task Practice of quantity over quality (bigger collection, better library)
8. Weeding in the public library Fiction has no specific ârulesâ and should be specific to your libraryâs use and needs. Consider the following: Currency, Appeal, Circulation, Space, Cost, Value to the Collection, Balance and Feedback Received Subject Specific concerns should be taken into consideration (Weed according to Dewey) Important to remember the community when making de-selection choices (make sure collection represents the patrons well) Multi-Media is often a large part of the collection and should be considered carefully, especially for outdated and obsolete materials and over-duplication; Create an exit strategy for outgoing formats. A usage survey/roving librarian can help in determining reference materials to weed Consider the libraryâs mission, goals, local school curriculum Setup parameters to follow such as type, condition, date, etc.
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10. Reference materials can be placed in circulating or storage; however, storage is not a solution to weeding
12. Consider whether items can be accessed via the internetâprint resources may be redundant
13. Check online to see what other libraries in consortium or nearby hold, especially with regard to serials
14. Web links for electronic access to serials also should be considered for weeding
15. Working with another librarian may be a good approach to tackling different areas of knowledge and ultimately getting weeding done. For instance, âteam members [work] together and occasionally [seek] outside help to verify the best solutionâ (Soma and Sjoberg 20).
16. Always distinguish between research library and college library â their jobs are inherently different Paul Metz and Caryl Gray states in their article, âPublic Relations and Library Weeding,âthat, âAlthough many librarians placated the concerns of their faculty by informally describing the process to them, all library staff were repeatedly encouraged to refer questions and criticism to the director of collection development, who key a fairly standard email reply near at hand and who made it a point to answer all questions immediatelyâ (275). Washington and Lee University Weeding Policy
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18. Currency is key to making a school library work and be seen as relevant to administrators (i.e. careers, countries, etc.).
19. Rely heavily on numbers to indicate what is weeded and relay that information to the school community (McGriff, Harvey and Preddy 29)
20. Check other sources like indexes of materials for ideas on whether to weed items or not (Boon 332)
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22. After the weed: what happens Book sales (or free) at the library. PR & Marketing is key to a successful sale! Donation to other groups such as Veterans and Nursing Homes Distribution or selling through various organizations (i.e. eBay, Amazon,etc.) Recycling centers Disposal (the garbage) Switch with others such as BookMooch Be an artist! Scrapbooks, decoupage, furniture, etc. * Always check the library policy before any of the above! *
23. Top benefits of weeding Frees up time during the selection process Makes the collection more relevant in content and to patrons Extra revenue source for the library When done as part of the regular library operations instead of mass weeding, it does not attract the negative attention of âthrowing awayâ Patrons feel more in control if they are buying books at book sales and other venues or through other sources Librarians know exactly what is on the shelves
25. Discussion Questions What would you have done in one of the library examples differently, do you agree with what they did, etc. ? What do you think is essential in a weeding plan and/or policy? How detailed should it be? Encyclopedias: What do you do?
Hinweis der Redaktion
Reference and encyclopedias: topic of controversyhttp://awfullibrarybooks.net/?attachment_id=8858http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=5022http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=2111http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=9027Crew method around since late 1970s â geared to collections that are not large; flexible; references Ranganathan; cyclical process going through cataloguing to shelves to review of shelves to getting more books which go back into circulation.
http://www.overbooked.org/ra/weeding.htmlEstablish a policy of what will be done, who will do it, the process before the actual weedingTurnover: by keeping the materials current, the circulation numbers improve because patrons are checking out what they really want and not just what is available because there is nothing else available. âCrisis weedingâ - weeding that is done because there are no other options left! You have run out of room and the storage space may be filled to the brim too. This is when you note what items take up a large portion of the shelf. You also make sure to go to certain sections in the library (i.e. where you know books are going to be arriving).
Consider the population in multi-media: if majority only have VHS players, keep at least 1 copy of VHS tapes. Donât class divide.Improvements in the Fiction collection include the Turnover rate, increases the awareness of âunknownâ materials to librarians and patrons, and can increase circulation numbersShelf examination and signage are also helpful in determining why certain materials circulate and others donâtConsider all the records of interlibrary loan and if they are still necessary or can be archived or used for statistical reportingConsider information about strengths and weaknesses of other neighboring libraries and how they can help or hinder your collectionSpecific Subject Considerations:000-099: Computer manuals and materials that are more than 3-5 years old100-199: Self-help can become quickly outdated200-299: Balance in religious materials while also representing the community300-399: Economics, Education, real estate and law, test preparation should be current as they change frequently400-499: Dictionaries and language materials should be current and in good condition500-599: Chemistry, math, science should assess textbooks in the collection and accuracy of materials600-699: Popular nonfiction topics such as technology, medicine, auto repair, engineering, cooking, pet care, etc. should be current and are most likely affected by use and condition700-799: Music, art, painting, crafts, landscaping, architecture should be current and are most likely affected by use and condition800-899: Literature, drama, poetry, short stories should be checked most for accuracy and condition as probably least used section, probably not weeded as often as it should be900-999: US and world history, travel should be current, balanced reflecting all types
Faculty are key because they know the subject area. They want to know what is being done because they may need to access the materials (i.e. fear of items going to storage where it is hard to get there or visitors cannot go there).
School libraries do not preserve items for retention in the future â replacement is key. Only items that should be kept are in regard to locality. SUNLI.NK has some resourcesâmost are dead links
Could not find any specific special library policies in our research!
Consider these also for multi-media and their equipment. Recycling is huge in this market.Book sales â typically will sell for about 50 cents to about $2.00; ongoing; seasonal. Faculty may want discarded books to put on the shelves for reference in their offices.Donations can be to prisons, nursing homes (large print mainly), and overseas (i.e. soldiers, schools, etc.)If selling online, should be worth effort and not time consuming (use of volunteers) Source of revenue for the library!Some good sites besides aboveâBetter World Books, Book Crossing, Books for America, International Book Project. B-Logistics was popular, but not operating now. Invite other academic libraries to obtain the materials you are discarding â they might need them in case they are in bad condition or missing.Personally, seen much art at fairs (i.e. book purses). BookMooch for switching.
Gaps in knowledge can be discovered â i.e. notice all books are outdated or need to be replaced
http://www.lrs.org/documents/field_stats/weeding_LP.pdfhttp://www.globegazette.com/news/local/article_5a6b4856-b5eb-11df-9d38-001cc4c002e0.html http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article319047.ecehttp://christianschooljournal.com/?p=408Discussion Questions: What would you have done in one of the library examples differently, do you agree with what they did, etc. ?What do you think is essential in a weeding plan and/or policy? How detailed should it be?Encyclopedias: What do you do?