Embedded Files
Component B: Weeding
The library staff develops and implements an ongoing plan to weed library materials that meet district policy criteria for removal. The library staff educates the school community about district policy on the removal of library materials and the importance of weeding to maintain an appealing, balanced, and inclusive library collection.
Component B - Evidence
Nonfiction Weeding - Spring 2024
In the Spring of 2024 we began weeding our nonfiction section. The DLMC assisted by providing us with a list of items based on age and circulation to guide this process. Each day we went through the shelves and considered what to weed based on our districts policies. Below are the guidelines provided by the DLMC and used regularly to guide weeding.
We use the CREW Weeding Guidelines for Fiction, Nonfiction, Multimedia, and E-books combined with MUSTIE. The method CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) integrates the process into an ongoing routine to make sure we are managing our collections in an effective way. Within the CREW method, it gives six general criteria for considering weeding an item from the collection which are:
M = Misleading-factually inaccurate
U = Ugly - worn beyond mending or rebinding
S = Superseded - by a new edition of or a much better book on the subject
T = Trivial - of no discernible literary or scientific nature
I = Irrelevant to the needs and interests of the library’s community
E = Elsewhere - the material is easily obtainable from another library or source.
The two factors that contribute to the evaluation of materials are age and usage which are placed in a simple formula.
15/5/MUSTIE
The 15 refers to the age. If the item is over 15 years of age it should be considered for weeding. The five refers to circulation. How many times has the item circulated over a five-year period? MUSTIE refers to the criteria above. Age and/or circulation may be different in certain subject areas. Refer to the DCSD Crew Weeding Guidelines Chart for detailed information. Our Titlewave accounts are set to this criteria when we perform an analysis so everything is consistent.
Fiction Weeding - Fall 2024
In the Fall of 2024 we tackled weeding our Fiction genres. While we are all knowledgeable about our collection we divided up the weeding based on genres we specialize in and read regularly. For instance, I weeded Fantasy and Science Fiction, while Abbi tackled Historical Fiction and Romance, and Gretchen took over Biographies and Realistic Fiction, the remaining genres we worked on together. All of the books that get weeded are recycled through Dream Books and follow the districts disposal policies.
This shows how we analyze our collections to work towards exemplary libraries. Weeding old and outdated materials coupled with purchasing new materials keeps the collection relevant and up to standards.
The 2024 weeding project also inspired one of our journalism students to publish an article in the school newspaper about weeding and what it entails. It was a wonderful opportunity to educate the school population about the weeding and disposal process. Many students and staff were pleasantly surprised by the data driven process and the guidelines used to remove books.
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