Weed, Weed, Weed

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Refresh Your Collection

• Weed, Weed, Weed!
• October 13, 2006

Jane Riches, MLIS Charles Wright
Academy Samantha Harris, M.Ed., MLIS Tacoma,
Washington
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Philosophy 101

• A library is a constantly evolving organism.
• A library is never finished.

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What is weeding?

• Weeding is the periodic and hopefully
  systematic review of library resources.
• Weeding is part of a comprehensive collection
  development plan.
• Weeding is deselecting.

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Why weed?

• Give your library curb appeal
• Make room for new items
• Focus on quality, not quantity
• Increase circulation
• Establish a reputation for reliability and
  accuracy

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Why dont we weed?

• Were just too busy!
• Weeding upsets people!
• Someone, someday might want it!
• My shelves will look empty!
• I paid 200 for that book!

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How do you get started? Part 1

• Have three or more of the following
• Flexibility
• Confidence
• Decisiveness
• A Plan
• Community Support

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How do you get started? Part 2

• Gather information
• Collection development plan
• Review the current curriculum needs
• Get to know your collection
• Understand school and/or district regulations
• No formal procedures? Find a buddy!
• Inform your community
• Show examples
• Educate on criteria
• Gather feedback

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What schedule works for you?

• Weed books on a daily basis as you handle them
• Weed during inventory
• Weed for a certain time each week/month
• Weed specific areas of the collection as they
  relate to projects, curriculum
• Create a multi-year weeding schedule

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Source Managing Our Library Collections For
Information Power. Bellingham, Washington Public
Schools, 2004
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Are Your Books MUSTIE?

• Misleading facts, stereotypes
• Ugly physical condition, age
• Superseded
• Trivial have no discernible scientific or
  literary merit
• Irrelevant
• Available Elsewhere

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Other criteria

• Frequency of use
• Multiple copies
• Mending as an option
• General standards, i.e.,
• Dictionaries..................when newer
  editions appear
• Biographies...do we still care?
• Encyclopedias...5-7 years
• Works on computers3 years
• Atlases5 years

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Why Keep it?

• Historical significance in literature, for the
  institution or the region
• Work by a local author
• NOTE Keeping obscure items on the shelf will
  cost you in space, accessibility and time.

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Actually tossing ?

• Make changes to catalog
• Consider keeping a summary of discards
• Clearly mark discards
• Know your district/school policy
• Offer to teachers for classroom instruction
• Give away discards to non-profits
• But dont create a headache for someone else ?
• Recycle
• Destroy

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Resources and Bibliography

• SUNLINK Weed of the Month Club
• http//www.sunlink.ucf.edu/weed/
• ALA Fact Sheet 15 Weeding Library Collections
• http//www.ala.org/ala/alalibrary/libraryfactsheet
  /Default1446.htm
• Overbooked A Resource for Readers - Weeding the
  Fiction Collection
• http//www.overbooked.org/ra/weeding.html
• Weeding Library Media Center Collections
• http//www.pld.fayette.k12.ky.us/lms/weed.htm
• Managing Our Library Collections for Information
  Power. Bellingham, WA Public Schools, 2004
• http//www.bham.wednet.edu/departments/libmedtech/
  libcollmanage.htm
• dmoz Open Directory Project Weeding links
• http//dmoz.org/Reference/Libraries/Library_and_In
  formation_Science/Technical_Services/Weeding/

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Contact Information

• Samantha Harris, M.Ed., MLIS
• sharris_at_mail.charleswright.org
• (253) 620 8414
• Jane Riches, MLIS
• jriches_at_mail.charleswright.org
• (253) 620 - 8323
• Charles Wright Academy
• 7773 Chambers Creek Road W.
• Tacoma, WA 98467-2099