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.

1. Weeding in the library By Mary Sosniak and Jennifer Peterson

3. It also goes by names of “Deselection,” “Withdrawal,” or “Relocation”

4. It also means when materials in the library are either removed or stored

5. The CREW method presents one way to weed

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 ‘rules’ and should be specific to your library’s 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patrons well) Multi-Media is often a large part of the collection and should be considered carefully, especially for outdated and obsolete materials and over-duplication; Create an exit strategy for outgoing formats.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 library’s mission, goals, local school curriculum Setup parameters to follow such as type, condition, date, etc.

10. Reference materials can be placed in circulating or storage; however, storage is not a solution to weeding

11. Statistics cannot always be count upon when determining whether to weed

12. Consider whether items can be accessed via the internet—print 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, “team members [work] together and occasionally [seek] outside help to verify the best solution” (Soma and Sjoberg 20).

16. Always distinguish between research library and college library – their jobs are inherently different Paul Metz and Caryl Gray states in their article, “Public Relations and Library Weeding,”that, “Although 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 immediately” (275). Washington and Lee University Weeding Policy

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)

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 “throwing away” 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

24. Weeding nightmares Buffalo, New York School in Boston, MA Mason City, Iowa

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?