Title: How to Weed Your Library Collection Without Losing Your Mind
1How to Weed Your Library Collection Without
LosingYour Mind
- Denise Anton Wright
- Director, New Glarus Public Library
- Wisconsin Library Association
- Friday, October 19, 2007
2Why Am I Talking About This?
- Ive been in LibraryLand for over 20 years
public, academic special library settings - Have helped many libraries weed their collections
- I understand the importance of weeding have
seen the huge difference it makes in collections - But most importantly - - -
3My Library is the Size of a Tuna Can
- Built as part of a larger Village Hall in early
1980s - 2,074 square ft.
- Approx. 32,000 items crammed in
- one in one out a necessity
- Weeding essential for staff morale
4Why We Should Weed
- Patrons need current information
- A weeded collection higher circulation
- A weeded collection sends out positive PR to the
entire community - Every library needs more space
- Weeding allows you to know your collection better
will help you identify gaps or holes in it - An essential aspect of collection development
5Why We Dont Weed
- Lack of support (Library Board, staff, etc.)
- Patrons public dont understand weeding
- Not enough time
- No idea how to get started
- No idea what to do with the weeded items
- I might get rid of something valuable
- Someone may want it / need it someday
- But I think a really big reason is . . .
6How We Think of Library Materials
7How We SHOULD Think of Library Materials
8Where Do We Go From Here?
- Convince Administration staff - weeding is
vital (save worst examples from your shelves
share w/anyone who wonders why you need to weed) - Determine a call range (dont get too
ambitious) that you want to weed start with
non-fiction, its fairly straight forward - Devote just 15 to 30 minutes a day
- A weeding cart works for some people
9Your Online Catalog is Your Friend
- It should allow you to find out circulation for
that item how many circs, how long ago - You may have access to specialized weeding
reports if so, request them! - A shared online catalog (South Central Library
System uses LINKcat) allows you to see of
libraries within your system with the item
elsewhere of MUSTIE - CREW appendix useful decision-making forms
10Weeding in Your Policy
- Include weeding guidelines criteria in your
librarys collection development policy - Simple is okay
- Lots of great examples on the Internet
- Tippicanoe County Public Library, Lafayette, IN
(http//www.tcpl.lib.in.us/admin/collman.htm) - Beloit Public Library (http//als.lib.wi.us/BPL/d
iscpol.htm)
11Tippicanoe County Public Library
- V. DISCARDING AND REPLACEMENT OF MATERIALS
- A.In order to maintain a vital, current
collection which meets the needs of our
community, examination of materials is an ongoing
process. An item is considered for discard when
it is - Obsolete or outdated.
- Worn beyond use.
- Damaged.
- No longer circulating and/or used for reference
purposes. - One of many copies of a formerly popular title.
- B. A work chosen for discard may be replaced with
another copy of the same title or another work on
the same subject. - C. Aides used in discardingBooks in Print,
Public Library Catalog, Fiction Catalog,
Children's Catalog, Junior and Senior High School
Catalogs, Evaluating and Weeding Collections in
Small and Medium-sized Public Libraries by Joseph
P. Segal
12Crew Manual http//www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/cr
ew/
CREW Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding
13More CREW - MUSTIE
- Misleading and/or Factually Inaccurate
- Ugly or worn out beyond mending or rebinding
- Superseded by a new edition or better source
- Trivial
- Irrelevant to the needs interests of your
community - Elsewhere (the material may be easily borrowed)
14SUNLINK Weed of the Month
- http//www.sunlink.ucf.edu/weed/ - Archive
- Floridas K-12 Union Catalog school focus but
still very inspirational for public libraries - Ran Monthly 1997 2005
- Book published (Less is More A Practical Guide
to Weeding School Libraries, ALA, 2006) - Breaks weeding effort down into do-able chunks
15What You Dont Weed
- Local history local authors
- Works with local settings or local ties
- Titles that are part of a special collection
within your library - Classic titles award-winners (but make sure the
edition on the shelf is attractive, otherwise
replace it)
16Tips - After Youve Weeded
- You Have a Pile of Items That Youve Weeded, Now
What? - Make it clear the item has been weeded from your
collection - Withdrawn stamp or blacking out / removing
property labels - Remove book pockets date due slips
- Special attention to memorial items
17How To Handle Memorial Items
- Apply same criteria to memorial items as you
would any other library item - Never, ever leave a memorial plate or wording in
a book that you are discarding - If need be, contact family members or others
associated with the original memorial donation - Transfer memorial to a new title you add on the
same topic
18What To Do With Weeded Items Sell Them
- Friends book sale or ongoing one
- Book Prospector (http//www.bookprospector.com)
- Better World Books (http//www.betterworldbooks.co
m) - For collectible titles AbeBooks
(http//www.abebooks.com) to determine value - Ebay (http//hub.ebay.com) one option
19What To Do With Weeded Items Donate Them
- Local charitable organizations (however, always
check with them before dropping off items) - Hospitals, jails, coffee houses, Amtrak station,
etc. - Hands Across the Water east coast but mail OK
(http//www.surplusbooksforcharity.org) - Got Books (http//www.gotbooks.com) - east coast
but mail OK - Be aware of PR impact for example, Freecycle
20What To Do With Weeded Items Get Creative!
- This Into That Second Editions
(http//www.thisintothat.com/secondeditions.html)
dont know how practical, but super fun ideas for
creating furniture out of books - Fun Forever Altered Book Art (http//www.funfore
ver.net/archives/dont-try-this-at-home)
21Now Get Weeding!
- Keep telling yourself that library materials have
an expiration date they spoil - Go slowly dont become overwhelmed
- Celebrate your success go look at an area that
youve weeded - Enjoy!
22Useful Tips from the Audience at my Presentation
- In addition to Administration staff, be sure to
educate custodial staff about the need for
weeding - Be sure to include what will happen to weeded
items in your librarys collection development
policy (see the policy of Beloit PL for an
example) - Publisher site that uses a concept similar to
SUNLINKs Weed of the Month http//www.raintree
library.com/weed/index.asp