Weeding:

the Good, the Bad, and the MUSTIE

Jeremy Bolom Lincoln Parish Library

Get a (Better) Attitude About Weeding

Take charge of your collection Get intimate with your collection Make your collection more useful, comfortable, and attractive for your users

The Life Cycle of Library Materials

Selection Processing Use

Weeding

Weeding is not a dirty word

The process of removing materials that

I. Are in poor condition II. are outdated, III. No longer fit the collection guidelines or meet community needs.

Check Standards on Weeding

Every item in the collection is evaluated for retention, replacement, or withdrawal at least every 5 years to determine its usefulness and accuracy according to the library collection development policy. Outdated, unnecessary, or damaged materials are removed from the collection. The library establishes and attains a measurable annual weeding plan based on local conditions and the library mission. Each library should consider local needs and long term use of the materials, including genealogy, local history, and other special collections.
from Louisiana Public Library Standards

Check Standards on Weeding

Essential 15% of collection is less than 5 years old. Entire collection is weeded every 5 years. Enhanced 20% of collection is less than 5 years old. Entire collection is weeded every 4 years. Comprehensive 24% of collection is less than 5 years old. Entire collection is weeded every 3 years.

from Louisiana Public Library Standards

Ask yourself
Why do we have the books that we have?

Put your weeding spurs on!

CREW Your Collection Continuous Review Evaluation Weeding

Benefits of Weeding
Save Space Save Time Shelf Appeal Library Reputation Meeting Needs Collection Knowledge

Before You Begin

Review
Collection development policy Library goals

Community wants/needs

Take a walk Run the numbers

Turnover Rate
A measure of use
=Total # of Items Total Circulation

Example:
12,000 2500 = 4.8

To Weed or Not To Weed?

(Incomplete) Checklist of Weeding Factors
Date/Author Condition Circulation stats Similar resources Format Illustrations Visual appeal Publisher Other copies/formats Expense to replace Current interest Timelessness Reading Level School curricula

Are you crazy YET?

Figuring Out What to Weed

Objective Criteria

X/X/MUSTIE
Copyright Date (Is it more than X year(s) ago?)

Maximum permissible years without use

Figuring Out What to Weed:

Subjective Criteria M U S T I E a Misleading a Ugly a Superseded a Trivial a Irrelevant a Available Elsewhere

Jeremys (suggested) Steps for Weeding

I. II. III. IV. V. Determine your criteria Run the numbers Print the list Pull the books Keep an eye on the collection VI. Reasons to keep? VII. Replacements? VIII. Displays IX. Clean up your list

Collections with Special Considerations

Childrens Picture books & fiction Teen Fiction Childrens & teen nonfiction Reference materials Periodicals Media Thou shalt not weed

Resources
Jeanette Larson. CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries. Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 2012. https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ld/ld/pubs/cre w/crewmethod12.pdf CREW Teaching Resources https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/index.html Includes two PowerPoint presentations and Word document exercises.

Jeremy Bolom Lincoln Parish Library jbolom@mylpl.org