The 'W' Word: Weeding!

The ‘W’ Word: Weeding!

“But someone might want that book!!”


After this webinar participants will• understand how weeding fits into the larger

scheme of collection management• understand more fully the need for deselection

of materials and the reasons for resistance to weeding.

• understand the need for transparency and working with public relations in relation to weeding.

• be able to get started on a strategic plan for weeding in their library.

Objectives

Collection Management

Budgeting, Evaluating, Selecting, Assessing, and Maintaining the collection

of information provided by your institution.


Collection Management Policy

Says HOW you are: Budgeting, Evaluating, Selecting, Assessing, and

Maintaining the collection of information provided by your institution.

It saves you loads of time and trouble.


Assessing, and Maintaining the collection of information provided by your institution.


Weeding

Weeding

De-selection De-accessionCulling

Otherwise known as

“Intelligent discarding of library materials”


Re-Fining Shaping

Withdrawing

Purging

ImproveHeighten

StrengthenEnrich

CultivateRefine

Collection Development


“To Develop”

Antonyms for ‘refine’ include: dirty, damage, pollute, corrupt

Change the Focus


If we are ‘refining’ the collection we are

Improving it!

Why weed?

OvercrowdingOutdated information/technology

Poor shapeShift in Community NeedsPoor quality of material


Why we don’t weed

Emotional attachmentReluctance to judgeDifficult decisions

Fear of public reprisalFear of “empty shelves”


Why we don’t weed

“It’s better to have older items than nothing at all.”


Libraries with fresher collections had higher circulation than larger collections with older materials.“Maintaining a Healthy Library Collection: the Need to Weed” Chris Jones, Aplis, 20 (4).

“I/We just don’t have the time or staff.”You find the time to purchase the items. Some are easy choices, others take some review. Weeding is the same thing. Why is one more important that the other?

Why we don’t weed


“A book that is outdated, damaged, poorly written or even dangerous still has value and still holds information that should never be lost – even if only to warn us not to travel certain roads again.”“Is it the purpose of EVERY library to preserve the entirety of the human published record? Is that proper stewardship at your library?”

How to fight the Hoarding Instinct

You can always find it elsewhere

There may be a better place for it

It’s okay for something to not be right at your fingertips

Weigh it against what you cannot have because you kept it.


Collection Management Policy

Treat ‘unacquiring’ with the same due process as acquiring!


May 6th: Collection Management Policies

Weeding & Public Relations

Collection Management PoliciesWeeding on a regular basis (under the

radar)Educated staffTransparency

Educated public


Why we don’t weed: Customer Edition


“It would be wonderful to keep more books, but libraries are not black holes. The shelves are only so big and expansions are expensive and rare. We, as librarians, can cater to the majority or to a few patrons, who may or may not exist, who are researching the history of a topic. We buy books on the history of all topics. I would rather have a new book on cancer treatments and a book on the history of cancer than keep all the old books on cancer treatment and give sick patrons and their families inaccurate information.”

“It pains me greatly that our public library has discarded so many wonderful books now out of print – especially children’s books. And when I looked online to buy some of them the prices were stunning – many in the triple digits! Funny how those used, out of print treasures were almost all library discards.”

“I’d rather see the books on the shelves with stickers or labels informing the public that this book is outdated and may not contain the most recent information and/or incorrect information. Something like that rather than taking away from the pubic. Additional information is positive, limiting access to information is a negative.”

Excerpts from Awful Library Books http://awfullibrarybooks.net/why-weed/

http://awfullibrarybooks.net/why-weed/

Weeding & Public Relations

It’s not always because of technology.

Community Needs Change!

Population Education

AccessibilityEconomics



Austin Public Library Annual Weeding Contest

Public Relations


Tell ‘em about it!

Public Relations


Avoiding That BIG PROJECT

Just like anything in life, the more you do it the easier it

is. Make it part of regular duties.

Collection Management is Like Gardening

Neglected


Benefits of Weeding on a regular basis

Assess patterns of usageFind hidden gems

Keep up with missing titles (series/current topics)

Assist with selection processCataloging improvements

Easier and not as noticeable as a BIG weed!



Tackling That BIG PROJECT

Treat it like a remodel. Look at the positive rather than the negative.Focus on the results.Let people know what you are doing!

Getting Started


MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Check your policies Involve everyone Determine the Public Relations

approach Determine the workflow Select where discards go Don’t look for trouble if it isn’t there

Project Planning and Management


MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Stakeholders: staff, management, board, governing bodies (if applicable), customers, and community.

Do you have a Project Definition & Scope? (what are you doing and how much does it affect)

Project Objectives? (what are the goals and expected results) Cost / Benefit Analysis? (why should we do this) Staffing Requirements? (how many people/hours do we need) Time Line? (when are you starting, ending, and what are the milestones in

between) Risk Analysis? (What could happen and how would we deal with it) Critical Success Criteria (if we meet these, we've met our goals)


How-To

May 27th: Weeding: The Action

Is there an agency better suited to house that material?


What to do with books that are out of date, inaccurate, or dangerous?



Because if we don’t laugh we cry . . .

“In too many libraries, collection development is actually based on the book as an object. Public libraries should not be in the business of accumulating physical objects. The purpose should be to provide the content that is needed and used by the public.“

~Texas Public Library Standards


The 'W' Word: Weeding!

Education

Transcript of The 'W' Word: Weeding!