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Website Review - Field Notes

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North Dakota State Library's Library Development Team has several posts dedicated to weeding. Many of the posts are wonderful ideas for what to do with the items weeded from the library shelves. The ND State Library team uses the C.R.E.W. method outlined by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, which advocates for weeding continuously throughout the year. As a result, the suggestions feature decorations for the whole year! Imagine taking tattered, old, outdated, unloved books and turning them into something new(ish), useful and loved!

(Bibbidi-boppity-boo!)

I’m genuinely excited to try some of the Winter themed crafts. I’ve been tasked with leading an adult holiday craft program. Book wreaths will be the main attraction, but Field Notes has some other decorative upcycling ideas I want to incorporate as well!

The most recent post was updated in January 2018 and reaffirms not only the reasons for weeding, but gives advice for how to avoid avoiding weeding. A 2016 guest post provides some tough love on weeding for those of us (ME) who may be faint of heart. It points out that weeding the library is like weeding a garden; getting rid of the unnecessary items allows the rest to flourish without the bulk and clutter. Without books that need to be removed from the shelves taking up the resources of shelf space and reader attention, the rest of the collection can circulate better because it’s receiving the space and attention it deserves!


Everything mentioned above makes the Field Notes site an invaluable weeding resource for any library. The site has great seasonal paper craft ideas with links to the source tutorials for making them. They also list sites and sources for disposing of books in ways other than cutting them up or throwing them away. There are recommendations for books, articles, and policies of other libraries to use as models for libraries that may want some help with their own development and weeding policies. They link to a number of sites to swap, sell, and donate books. There’s even an article about how a library in Nova Scotia used old, weeded, academic journals as insulation for a renovated building!

(I'm impressed by their ingenuity)
How’s that for not simply ‘throwing away books?’ Field Notes is full of information that any library could use to begin, maintain, and evaluate a weeding project. Libraries can also contact the Field Notes crew to come and conduct evaluations or trainings!
Practical knowledge, fun, seasonal ideas, and training opportunity? 4/5


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