Awful Library Books

Weeding is an essential component of library collection management. Most libraries simply do not have unlimited space, and must continually make room for new materials. Weeding is necessary to remain relevant to library users and true to library missions. Remember – unless your library exists to archive and preserve materials for the ages, you collect information and provide access to information, not just books as physical objects. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made. How many times have you said, “But I just bought that!” and then realized it was ten years ago?

Here are some links to professional literature on why we weed. 

Weeding Library Collections: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for Library Collection Evaluation – from the American Library Association. Includes LOTS of great links.

The CREW Method: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries – by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Weeding Library Collections – from LibSuccess.org