TABLE OF CONTENTS:

BCPS Weeding Guidelines

Philosophy & Rationale

Weeding or deselecting is an integral and important part of collection development in school libraries. It is essential that libraries evaluate the quality and content of all materials and remove old, outdated, worn, damaged, or redundant materials.  Continued attention to the state of the collection and weeding helps to ensure equity and high quality. Collections are not static. School libraries support content curricula while encouraging recreational reading for students and staff. Working toward this end, collections must be maintained in current, physically sound and factually accurate condition.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• How to Weed by the Numbers and Update Your Collection (Knowledge Quest)
• Winning at Weeding (School Library Journal) 
• "Crying Over Spilled Milk" (Library Media Connection)
• Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling FRESH
  (Jennifer Lagarde, Library Girl blog post & poster) 
• Why Weeding Matters (Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk blog post) 
• Collection Maintenance and Weeding (from Annette Lamb’s Eduscapes) 
• Weeding Library Collections: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for Library Collection Evaluation (ALA Factsheet)
• CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries (Janette Larson, Texas State Library and Archives Commission) 

Collection maintenance/weeding supports these key points:

• Library collections reflect BCPS Selection Criteria
• Effective utilization of space in the media center
• Reputation for quality, currency, and equity of holdings
• Illusion of a "well stocked library" (high numbers) impacts annual collection development funding allotment
• Attractiveness and appeal of the collection attracts readers

Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding of the collection (CREW) should be conducted throughout the year, ("a systematic and continuous weeding of the collection", Larson, 2008)  according to a Weeding Schedule similar to the sample shown below.

The FRESH and MUSTIE acronyms shown here are useful reminders for making weeding decisions.

Additional Weeding Criteria

Below is a summary of the  BCPS Library Selection Criteria that should be applied when making weeding decisions. 
Materials are to be weeded if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Are in poor physical condition.
• Have not circulated in the last five years and there is no likelihood that they will because of curricular changes or student needs/interests.
• Are outdated in content or accuracy (Use the Titlewise reports as a guide to identify outdated materials.  The Titlewise analysis report is based on copyright thresholds for information accuracy/currency for subject areas in which there is rapid information obsolesce.  Copyright date should be considered; however, do not make a decision to weed based solely on the copyright date of the material. Some older material may be considered classic or may be of great historical value to your collection.)
• Are mediocre or poor in quality.
• Are inappropriate in reading level.
• Duplicate information which is no longer in heavy demand.
• Are superseded by new or revised information.
• Are outdated and/or unattractive format, design, graphics, and illustrations.
• Contain information which is inaccessible because they lack a table of contents, adequate indexing, and searching capabilities.
• Are not selected in accordance with general selection criteria.
• No longer support curriculum or otherwise unnecessary.
• Contain bias or stereotypes. 

What NOT to Weed (if the item is in good or excellent physical condition) 

• Classics
• Materials published about the school or community which may be considered archival
• Works by local authors
• Memorial gifts

More Weeding Tips

• Use your last Titlewise Analysis as a weeding guide:

• Weed Aged Titles/Age Sensitive titles as appropriate. 

• Check Titlewave for availability of titles with more recent copyright to help you decide whether or not to weed Age Sensitive titles. 

• Use this No/Low Circulations Report to decide if books that haven't circulated for a long time should be weeded, or more aggressively marketed. 
• WEED REFERENCE! Interfile frequently-used Reference materials in Nonfiction section. Edit Copy in Destiny to remove REF prefix and change Circ Type from Reference to Regular.

• Delete Lost Copies in Destiny; gives you the option of deleting copies marked Lost on/before a date you choose.

• Use Destiny Weeding Log to identify weeded titles you might wish to replace (with same title or newer copyright for same topic).

• Keep a box below the check out desk for weeding old, ugly materials on the fly.

Removal Process- Destiny Copies and Weeded Library Books

• Follow the procedures to delete copies from Destiny yourself.
• Recommendation: Keep note of the first date you do this. This exact date is necessary on the CORD form.
• CORD Form and Instructions are linked from the BCPS Website under Records Management. However, these instructions may not be up-to-date.
• BCPS Records liaisons are appointed by principals every new school year using a form linked on the Records Liaisons page on the BCPS website. A signature from the current records liaison or appointed alternate must be on the submitted CORD form.
• Follow directions as they are explained by Records Retention from the February Professional Learning 2023 CORD recording. A PPT Training for Disposal of Weeded Library Books is also provided for your reference.  
• September 2023 Update: All Weeding Logs and CORD forms must be submitted as a single PDF file to Records Management. Instructions to Combine PDFs are available. Failure to submit as Single PDF file will result in CORD denial. 
• Before October 1, 2023, a T-Req form will need to be completed. After October 1, 2023: All T-Requisition requests must be submitted via Smartsheet.

Library Collection Inventory

• BCPS School Library Collection Inventory Guide  |  Weeding & Inventory Progress Chart
• Delete "LOST" copies from Destiny after finalizing an Inventory
• See also these Follett Training Materials:
• Starting an Inventory in Library Manager QRG (Quick Reference Guide) - includes setting Sublocations if you have genrefied in Destiny.
• Conducting an Inventory in Library Manager QRG (Quick Reference Guide)