Weeding, or removing outdated, obsolete, or damaged materials is an essential part of collection management. The weeding process makes room for new materials, keeping the library collection current and relevant. If you use INFOhio's LSP, a shelf list or MobileStaff's Deselect feature can help with this process.
One of the most well-known weeding methods is the CREW method. CREW stands for Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding. Developed by the Texas State Library and Archive Commission, the CREW method uses the MUSTIE acronym to guide librarians in the process of evaluating library materials for weeding. See below for an explanation of this acronym.
According to CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries, there are six benefits of weeding (p. 15-16):
When Should Weeding Be Done?
Weeding should be a continuous process throughout the year. As materials are returned to the library, look at the physical shape of the item, as well as the content. If the material looks bad, is damaged, or has outdated content, remove the item from the collection. Many librarians choose to weed before inventory. This can help with the clean-up of the collection and to remove any items that haven't circulated in a certain amount of time. It is a good idea to consult the administration before weeding for information on district policies for removing items purchased with public funds. Discuss the plan with an administrator. Some schools require a school board to sign off on removing library materials. In this case, it is important to provide a list of materials potentially up for removal. If you use INFOhio's LSP, talk with your INFOhio Provider on best practices for marking materials for removal as well as generating a list of those items.
What Needs to Be Weeded?
One way to determine what needs to be weeded is to look at the circulation of items. The number of times an item has circulated, along with the published date, are two good indicators of how to determine whether or not to keep a title. If you use INFOhio's LSP, your ITC Library Support Staff can help create a list with this information or create the list for you.
In addition to circulation statistics and published date, another option to help determine what should be weeded is to use the CREW method's MUSTIE acronym (p. 52-53),
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M |
Misleading |
Look for items that are misleading and/or factually inaccurate. Old editions and materials where information changes quickly are areas of the collection to pay close attention to. |
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U |
Ugly |
Look for items that are ugly. This could mean the item is not in good shape, has damage, or is missing parts or pieces. |
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S |
Superseded (old) |
Superseded means that there is a newer edition available. Unless there is a reason to hold onto the older edition(s), remove titles that have new information available. |
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T |
Trivial |
Trivial items are those without real literary value and popular for a certain amount of time but no longer are of interest to students or teachers. |
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I |
Irrelevant |
Irrelevant items do not serve the needs of your school or district. |
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E |
Elsewhere Available |
Items available elsewhere can be accessed outside of your physical collection. INFOhio's digital resources are a perfect example of this. Many journals, magazines, and newspapers can be accessed freely through INFOhio and can save money and space. If you currently subscribe to journals, magazines, and/or newspapers, check to see if they are available through INFOhio. |
Weeding is not a quick process, but a thoughtful, deliberate plan will help to create a current, relevant space full of materials to support students and teachers.
Additional Resources to Check Out:
Fetch is avaiable to INFOhio automated schools. If you are an INFOhio school, please log in with your school username/password using the button at the top-left corner of this page.
For more information about Fetch, please visit the Fetch information page or contact INFOhio support at https://support.infohio.org.
