Week+8+-+May+29

The flip side of selection is what materials will be removed from your library? For what reasons would you “de-select” a book? This week we will look at de-selection or what is more commonly referred to as “weeding.” Many librarians find weeding to be one of the toughest aspects of collection development. Most of us share affection for the books in our collections and know that the perfect reader for this book is out there somewhere! But if it hasn’t circulated in three to five years, that reader left your school long ago. In addition, candidates for removal are: Weeding also raises the issue of how or where to dispose of books. Many times well meaning folks will suggest sending the discards to intercity schools or schools in Africa. But don’t those students deserve to have the same accurate information as your students? It’s something to think about. Check with your principal about your district’s book disposal policy. As a practical matter, I would recommend not placing the books in the school’s trash or recycling. Somehow those books always end up back inside the building and in your library!
 * Weeding**
 * books that are outdated or incorrect
 * books that don’t match curriculum or student interest
 * books not found in a retrospective selection source
 * unneeded duplicates
 * of a condition beyond your ability to repair.

Chapter 5, //How Do I Weed the Collection?// in Mona Kerby’s book //Less is More// by Donna Baumbach and Linda Miller, pages 1-8 http://books.google.com/books?id=19aue6Q0Dy8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=less+is+more&ei=Kke-SYaOF4fCzgSS-7zFBw (If this URL does not work, use: http://books.google.com/books and do a search for “Less is More”).
 * Readings**

Step One: Read through the skit attached as a word document at the bottom of this page. Step Two: Search your library catalog or another library catalog and find one fiction title and one non-fiction title that you would add as another example in this skit. Step Three: Present your 2 books and weeding skit “discussion” as a continued conversation between Ricki, Jon and Rebecca. Please post your “skit” to the discussion space. Make sure you log on at least one more time to comment on the posts.
 * Discussion Board Posting**