Keywords
Citation
Morgan, S. (1998), "Weeding Library Collections:
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Too often the task of weeding book collections is a prime candidate for procrastination. Clearly, there are a number of reasons for this including its staff‐intensive nature, professional work pressures, lack of priority, doubts about relevant criteria and practical uncertainties. Some people view books as valuable records of human heritage and therefore almost sacred. Some of these will be librarians. So, what are the benefits that can be derived from carrying out this task now rather than at some vague time in the future? There are some convincing ones such as more efficient use of space which is in short (and expensive) supply, increases in book usage (the research evidence is clear on this), increased reader satisfaction, saving in staff time and also making room for new technologies.
If you are convinced of the arguments for weeding (or de‐acquisition or de‐selection, as it is sometimes termed), Slote’s comprehensive and practical guide will be a worthwhile companion. In the words of the author, the aim of this edition is “to overcome our natural reluctance to weed by making the process simpler, more objective and more scientific”. While Slote undoubtedly achieves his aim, there is no getting away from the time‐consuming nature of the exercise. However, having followed the procedures laid down here, you can at least be fairly sure of the reliability and validity of the outcome. The book is aimed at all library sectors although the majority of the examples are taken from public libraries in the USA. Not only does it contain step‐by‐step practical guidance but also part 1, in particular, represents a good summary of the knowledge and research built up on the topic over a number of years. Any library school reading list on collection management could usefully include this title.
The 15 relatively short chapters are divided into three parts, with the third part consisting of just the final chapter entitled “Weeding process for non‐circulating collections”. The first part, consisting of eight chapters offers an extensive background and introduction to weeding. Included in these 75 pages are current practices, library standards, weeding criteria (condition, content, language, age, use pattern, etc.), objectives and core collections for specific types of library. The final chapter is an analysis and review of the literature.
Part 2 opens with a discussion of the concept of the “shelf‐time period” ‐ the length of time a book remains on the shelf between uses. This is better known in the literature as the eponymous “Slote method”. The theory is that past use is a reliable, valid predictor of future use. The next four chapters (10‐13) introduce the reader to recommended weeding methods:book card, spine marking, historical reconstruction and the computer‐assisted method. For each method the author provides a consistent framework on which practitioners can base their actions including planning, staff training and, helpfully, blank reproduceable forms for record‐keeping. The final chapter on reference collections is followed by a short glossary and bibliography.
Substantial alterations have been made in this fourth edition to take in developments over the last seven years. The changes include a new chapter (the final one), a completely rewritten chapter on computer‐assisted weeding and a new understanding of the relationship between in‐library use and circulation use. This latter represents a dramatic shift in weeding techniques. There is definitely a need for this book during these last few years of the century. Whether there will be the need for such advice in 15 years time is a debatable question.