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Weeding Popular Materials Collections
March 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST
When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Book hoarding does not create a useful collection. Weeding, or deselecting materials, must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron-driven collection that serves its community.
As increasing demands tax libraries’ limited resources, every item in a physical collection must justify its shelf space; while every item, both physical and digital, vies for patrons’ time and attention. We’ll discuss practical advice for weeding popular materials collections for youth and adults across formats. Along the way, I’ll debunk some popular weeding excuses.
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- articulate to internal and external stakeholders that weeding is equally as important as selection to collection development
- implement logical, rigorous weeding doctrines within popular materials collections
- weed to create space for new collections, highlight materials, and increase circulation with confidence
- promote patron driven collection policies and revitalize collections
Who will benefit from this program:
- All staff that interacts with the collection and the public
- Staff who select for the collection
- Staff who maintain the collection
About the presenter: Karen Toonen is the Collection Services Manager at Naperville Public Library, the second-highest circulating public library in Illinois. Throughout her time as a Readers Advisory Assistant, an Adult Services Librarian, and in Technical Services, Karen has remained focused on collections. She has presented extensively on weeding and other collection development aspects at the regional, state, and national level. Her service on the Adult Reading Round Table’s Steering Committee has not only allowed her to learn about weeding from colleagues across northern Illinois, but also informed her philosophy that weeding and readers advisory go hand in hand.
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Please note: If you use assistive technology and the format of any material present within this training site interferes with your ability to access information, please email [email protected]. In your correspondence, please indicate the nature of your accessibility issue, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the online course title, and your contact information.
This project has been funded under the provisions of the Library Cooperative Grant program, which is administered by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.