<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Hi Eryn,<br>
<br>
Here's my two cents as someone with significant experience weeding
small public library collections:<br>
<br>
If you create a plan to weed a little at a time over the course of
the school year, things will be much less overwhelming. My advice
would be to break down your nonfiction collection into sections to
go through monthly that will cover your whole collection in one
year's time (or two years if one isn't doable for you). If your
collection and/or budget are in real rough shape, you may need to do
a "triage" round of weeding where you weed and replace the worst of
the worst before going through everything again with stricter
weeding criteria. If you do your weeding on a monthly basis, this
will hopefully mean you can replace things gradually in the normal
course of your ordering and not find your budget <i>too</i>
strained with a giant list of replacements that all need ordering at
once.<br>
<br>
I love Vnuk's <i>Weeding Handbook</i> myself, but some of her
recommendations regarding currency are unrealistic for smaller
libraries with limited budgets, especially those that haven't been
weeded in a long while. The same goes for CREW. As you go through
your collection, you'll develop a sense for what "dated" means for a
particular subject at your particular library. Don't push yourself
too hard to conform to guidelines that were developed for larger,
better-funded libraries. Just do what you can with what you have,
and prioritize the areas where currency is of the utmost importance
and where use is heaviest.<br>
<br>
I hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out to me directly if
you have any more specific questions.<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Elena Gleason
Acquisitions Librarian
Coos Bay Public Library
525 Anderson Ave.
Coos Bay, OR 97420
541-269-1101 x225
coosbaylibrary.org</pre>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/8/2017 2:33 PM, Eryn McKee wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CANbWb-+uMQ7H-rOFoEZOb=C070kamFAwwa5tt95vmRN3xsotyg@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">Hello- I'm looking for some insights, suggestions,
etc... on weeding my library collection. I've done fairly well
with the fiction section but when it comes to the non-fiction
and the reference section, I'm overwhelmed. This is my 17th
year here and in that time there has been some weeding done here
and there, mostly at the end of the school year when I read the
shelves but nothing consistent. Due to budget cuts at this
point I am the only library staff. Our non-fiction and
reference are woefully outdated. A lot of the books are older
than my high school students. If I went through and pulled
everything that shouldn't still be on the shelves, I wouldn't be
left with a whole lot!
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I have read the following books on weeding:</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Less is More: A practical Guide to Weeding School Library
Collections</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Weeding Handbook: A Shelf by Shelf Guild</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Both were very helpful but I just don't know where to
start! I want to pull all these horribly outdated books off
the shelf but I need to be able to update the collection as
well but that is easier said than done. Books are not cheap
and my budget is only so much each year. I'm thinking maybe I
could apply for a grant or ask my PSO for money to help buy
more books. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Any thoughts, insights, suggestions, would be greatly
appreciated, especially if you have experience updating a
really outdated collection. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thanks so much!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Eryn </div>
<div>
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">
<p><span style="font-family:"Lucida
Calligraphy"">Eryn McKee</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Lucida
Calligraphy"">Librarian -MLS</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Lucida
Calligraphy"">(Classified)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Lucida
Calligraphy"">Tigard High School</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Lucida
Calligraphy"">Co-Vice President- OSEA Chapter 51<br>
</span></p>
<span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy""><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:%28503%29431-5451"
value="+15034315451" target="_blank">(503)431-5451</a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre wrap="">_____________________________________________________
Libs-Or mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Libs-Or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us">Libs-Or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/libs-or">http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/libs-or</a>
Hosted by the Oregon State Library. The Library is not responsible for content.
Questions related to message content should be directed to list owner(s) or the sender of the message, by phone or email.
Technical questions? Call 503-378-8800.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
</body>
</html>