Libraries discard a surprising number of books every year, and every so often the public notices and becomes outraged. Is there a reason for discarding this many items every year, and is it a sign of bad collection management?
Why get rid of books?
Libraries discard books for a variety of reasons. Obviously, when books become damaged by long use or mistreatment, they will need to be discarded and either replaced or repurchased. Popularity is also a huge factor. Faddish titles on topics that are huge one month and yesterday's news the next are a waste of space on the shelf after just a short time, especially if multiple copies were purchased to meet demand. Sometimes updates or new discoveries in certain subject fields make whole swaths of books irrelevant, and even major genres like fantasy or sci-fi have their ups and downs. These all present an issue when you take into consideration the amount of space available on library shelves. In order for the hot new books to fit on the shelves, older items have to leave.
How do you decide?
Library collections contain thousands and even hundreds of thousands of items, and it can be difficult to imagine how someone could make quick and accurate decisions about so many items in a reasonable amount of time. However, there are systems in place to help librarians make these decision correctly.
The CREW weeding manual published by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission outlines a detailed process for reviewing and weeding library collections, and has been used either
directly or as inspiration in many libraries across the country. This manual describes how to evaluate things like the item's age, loan history, context on the shelf, and many other things to determine which items are good candidates for weeding.
Comments