Materials will be evaluated and removed from the Library’s collection on an ongoing basis.  Weeding will be guided by the following:

-Needs and demands of the community

-Budget (the ability to purchase more satisfactory material)

-Availability of more suitable material (updated information; superseded editions, ie: almanacs, atlas, dictionary, non-biased, racist, sexist)

-Future usefulness of a particular item (unused, mediocre quality of writing, repetitious series no longer popular, space constraints)

-Use of the internet and inter-library loans – available elsewhere

Benefits of Weeding:

-Space: (Shelves 75-85% full) Open appearance

-Time: ease of locating and shelving books

-Appeal: clean, user friendly appearance – good air flow

-Reputation: up to date, reliable materials, credibility of information

-Continuous check: makes updating easier

-Feedback: awareness of strengths and weakness of collection

Process:

Use of CREW (Continuous, Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) Guidelines 6 basic criteria:

M-Misleading – factually inaccurate

U-Ugly – worn beyond mending and rebinding

S-Superseded – by a new edition of a much better book on the subject

T- Trivial – of no discernible literary of scientific merit

I-Irrelevant to the needs and interests of the library’s community

E-Elsewhere – the material is easily obtainable from another library

A continuous review and evaluation of materials will be conducted.

Disposition of weeded material:

Repair – rebind, mend

Sell or trade – ongoing or annual book sale/ trade with other libraries

Donate – nursing home, Amish, other library

Recycle – periodicals and non-hardcover books

Destroy