Weeding Policy

With the advice of the academic departments concerned, the library staff pursues a continuous weeding process resulting in the discarding of materials (books, periodicals, media) containing obsolete or misleading information, superseded editions, surplus copies, materials which are extensively worn or marked, content available in differing formats, and materials which have little or no use. Librarians will be responsible for balancing conflicting needs of the academic departments (where a book no longer needed by one department may
still be required in another area of the curriculum, or to balance the collection within an overall comprehensive scope).

Library liaisons (under the supervision of the Director of Library Services) will coordinate the weeding process in the areas they serve by working with both faculty in the academic disciplines and library personnel so that deselecting is done effectively and efficiently. Evaluation of the collection for weeding purposes will employ the guidelines noted in the Library’s Selection Policy, along with core collection recommendations, listings of indexed materials, and other relevant collection analysis tools that the librarians and classroom-discipline-based faculty may choose.

Developed: September 11, 1989 Library Staff
Approved: September 28, 1989
Reviewed and modified: January 21, 1998 Library Personnel
Reviewed and modified: January 28, 1998 Library Personnel
Reviewed and approved: April 16, 1998 Library Committee
Updated: March 3, 2003 Library Personnel