How to get your Weedingoff the Ground

Ann Lininger, Racine Public LibraryAngela Milock, Wisconsin Library Services

Jane Richard, Wisconsin Library Services

You have permission!

Don’t let an emotional connection to materials get in your way

Examine the lifetime cost/benefit of items Get buy-in from staff, board and other

interested parties Get inspired – check out resources like awful

library books (awfullibrarybooks.com)

Why weed?

Increased circ = increased funding Better representation of items patrons want

and need Ensure the accuracy and currency of

collection Easier for patrons to find what they are

looking for

Pre-planning

Decide weeding criteria M.U.S.T.Y.

Misleading Ugly Superseded Trivial Your library does not need it

Circulation stats Lifetime circs Recent circs

Age of material

Exceptions not covered here Special collections

Examples: Local history Genealogy Award winners

Academic collections Different criteria: curriculum,

faculty favorites, etc.

Pre-planning

Who and what else is affected? System and other libraries

o Number of copies in your systemo System collection policies

Central versus local processingo Updating the catalog holdings

Friends’ book sale: warn them that there will be a big shipment coming

Pre-planning

Pull reports from ILS Circ reports over time to compare post-weeding Shelf list of what to pull takes the guesswork out

o Your criteria would determine thisExample: 1. Books published on or before 1994 2. 0, 1, or 2 total checkouts 3. Last checkout before 1/1/08

Pre-planning

Scheduling Continual weeding=The CREW way One time event Worker availability Calendar of events

o Re-model or other change to the building

Pre-planning

How to process Items

o Discard stampo Storage

Catalog recordo Adhere to system standards

– Depending on your system, records would be either deleted or suppressed

o Keep up with holdings work

Jump right in!

Start with one manageable section, one classification number or even just one shelf

Enlist the help of staff at every level Example: Circ staff empowered to divert books in

bad condition, instead of re-shelving Get into the Zen of de-selection

Process itemsA flowchart might help visualize the steps

In the stacks

ClipboardsMarkersSticky notesFlags Small book truck(s)BoxesComputer work stationsPencils

Discard stampGlovesAllergy medicineWarm bodiesWeeding criteriaProcedures manualHighlightersPhone

Post-weeding Friends group for book sale Crafternoons! Storage (Shhhh…dumpster) Donate

Jail library groups Goodwill

Better World Books:Isaac Salazar creation

Before….

After weeding