Plan to Weed

I took the Web Junction course called “Weeding the Library Collection.” The course emphasized the need to include weeding as part of any library’s collection development plan. If there is a plan in place, there will be less resistance to weeding. Some patrons, board members, and library staff have a hard time letting some items go. If a plan is in place it can always be referred to. A weeding plan should include a schedule, parameters for weeding, and what to do with special items such as gifts to the library. It should be clear to everyone that items will be eventually weeded. Books and other items need to earn their keep on the library’s shelves. We need to know they are “paying rent” by circulating. There are other parameters as well. Condition, relevancy, appearance, and content all need to be considered. Weeding does not need to be done in a marathon session. A weeding schedule can be made to stretch over the course of a year. It may be an overwhelming task for some but overall it will make the collection look more attractive and other items easier to find. There was a lot in this course including the CREW and MUSTIE methods for evaluating materials. I think this course was helpful for our weeding project coming up and for my job as well.