Collection Management for Libraries

Feeney, M., Elliott, C., & Jenkins, J. (2015, May 7). Up from the depths: return of the 16 mm film, or how to weed your film collection. Collection Management, 40 (2), 67-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2015.1009963 A danger of deselection is an assumption that outdated media formats are worthless. Most librarians are familiar with books, but AV materials, especially unused, dusty old film canisters, are out of their purview and comfort zone. Regardless, these items need to be given due consideration and inviting expert faculty for assistance is a good move. There may be one-of-a kind treasure to be found, that even if not within the scope of a library’s collection, could be of great value to another institution. Undertaking a project like this will take up time and resources, but it can be done. Summary: Most AV collections that belong to libraries began to develop around the 1960s with education films, later transitioning to videotapes and DVD...

Waugh, M., Donlin, M., & Braunstein, S. (2015, Jan 14). Next-generation collection management: a case study of quality control and weeding e-books in an academic library. Collection Management, 40 (1), 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2014.965864 This paper presents a case study in e-book weeding from Louisiana State University. E-book collection management policies do not exist in over 95% of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) facilities and it is unlikely numbers would be much lower in any library. E-book collections need to be evaluated according to a thoughtfully created policy in order to keep an up to date, useful collection to serve patrons needs. By examining the difficulties and triumphs experienced by other libraries, staff can work to address deficiencies in their facilities.   A major problem will be interacting with vendors since they control collections. It will be important for individual libraries demand better self-service, s...

Ehret Snyder, C. (2013, Dec 20). Data-driven deselection: multiple point data using a decision support tool in an academic library. Collection Management, 39 , 11-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2013.866607 Weeding is a time-consuming and sensitive task for librarians. It is necessary to make space for new material, keep information current and updated, and remove items in poor condition. Librarians have to determine what kind of data is necessary to review in order to justify removing an item from the library’s shelves. Tools exist to help librarians gather multiple points of data to make the process more efficient. The librarians at Olin Library, part of Rollins College in Florida, utilized such a tool (Sustainable Collections Services) to help them update their collection and present the findings in this paper. Summary: Librarians are short on time and weeding is one of the most time-consuming tasks they can take on. Criteria is necessary to make...

Interview With a Librarian - Librarian P As I head up the steps to the University library, the scene is picturesque. Leaves are swirling, there's a chill in the air, it's the perfect sort of day to visit an old library. The steps leading up the building swirl in that grand southern lady fashion reminiscent of Gone With the Wind . I head for the lower door because I see a key card entry on the upper door and I don't have that. Inside things look way more modern. I decide to head upstairs when I see only what looks like students studying in cozy lounge. Upstairs is more bare and less cozy. It looks like a house that is in the process of moving. A woman sees my confused face and asks how she can help me. I tell her that I'm looking for Librarian P. "You must be Jillian." I nod. She happily introduces herself as Librarian P and beckons me down a hallway. We enter her office and she apologizes for the current state as she clears a chair to offer me. The librar...

Interview With a Librarian - Librarian M Disclaimer: As stated in my post about prepping for this interview, I am an employee of my local library system and Librarian M has previously been my direct supervisor and my head of branch on two separate occasions. In June 2016 until her transfer in August of that year, and again in April 2018 up until she moved to Head of Collection Development in July. I walk into the Tech Services Department and stick my head into the first office door. Librarian M beckons me in and I laugh seeing her space heater on the floor. It finally touched below 60 that morning and felt like fall for the first time. “You people and your heaters!” Librarian M laughs back and tells me that she gets cold. I settle into the other chair in the room and open by asking how long has Librarian M been a librarian. She thinks about it and states that she became a public librarian in January 1993. Comparing it to my own age, I surmise that she’s been at it for 26 years....

Field Notes 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 weed...

Letters to a Young Librarian - Weeding ​ Letters to a Young Librarian is a blog run by New York Librarian Jessica Olin. Currently she is the director of library services at an unnamed community college in Western New York. The blog is meant to act as a practical ‘What They Didn’t Teach you in Library School’ repository. It hopes to meld the theoretical learning of Library School with the day-to-day workings of being a professional librarian. (Who doesn’t love the sound of that?) Ms. Olin discusses weeding in a collection of four posts, the most recent being in 2014. Her view of weeding is much like other libraries and librarians we’ve experienced on this journey. She details her methods for weeding and reminds us that mileage will vary; what works for her may not work for others. Some of the weeding techniques are the usual ones such as age, circulation status, and the ‘employee smell test,’ that ephemeral combination of physical attributes that might render a book unworthy o...