Weeding Popular Materials Collections

When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Book hoarding does not create a useful collection. Weeding, or deselecting materials, must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron driven collection that serves its community. As increasing demands tax libraries’ limited resources, every item in a physical collection must justify its shelf space; while every item, both physical and digital, vies for patrons’ time and attention. We’ll discuss practical advice for weeing popular materials collections for youth or adults across formats. Along the way, I’ll debunk some popular weeding excuses.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• articulate to internal and external stakeholders that weeding equally as important as important to selection to collection development
• implement logical, rigorous weeding doctrines within their popular materials collections
• weed to create space for new collections, highlight materials, and increase circulation with confidence
• promote patron driven collection policies and revitalize collections

Who will Benefit from this Program:

• All staff that interact with the collection and the public
• Staff who select for the collection
• Staff who maintain the collection

This project is made possible by grant funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan.