Introduction:
The focus of this project is to weed out “MUSTY” materials from the library in the section that holds my topic of study which is the environment. This is an extremely important task to do in order to ensure a quality library. “A well-known Taoist proverb states, "Fertile fields cannot produce good crops as long as the weeds are not cleared away." (Allen, 2010). If the shelves are crowded with outdated or poor quality materials students will have difficulty finding the information that they need and may even give up on using the library. A MUSTY library does little to promote the value of the library in today’s schools. Because I am not a TL and I have never met the TL in the school I used for this assignment, it was not my place to actually physically remove the items I selected for weeding from the computer system or the library. Therefore, since I was unable to generate a weeded materials report I have visually documented the materials I have chosen for weeding. The circulation and publishing date reports are linked at the end of this report.
For this project I have chosen to focus on the materials in the 300s section that are on the topic of the environment. I have also examined some materials in the 600s, 700s, and Easy sections as well which are focussed on the topic of the environment.
Items Selected for Weeding:
In evaluating these materials for weeding I used the circulation reports and the report that listed the publishing dates for the materials. I also referred to the handout of Bishop’s Age and Circulation Guidelines as well as the Guidelines for my School District (Surrey School District). Following is the list of materials I am selecting for weeding and the rationale for why:
· The Amazing Paper Book (676 BOU)
Paulette Bourgeois
o Copyright date – 1989
o Redundant – two copies in collection
o Information is of little interest
o Unappealing visually – black and white
· Celebrating Earth Day (676 GAR)
Robert Gardiner
o Copyright date – 1992
o Smells musty – never cracked open
o Text heavy – uninspiring tables
o Information is of little interest
o Unappealing visually – black and white
· The Recycling Book (745.5 MAC)
Elizabeth MacLeod
o Copyright date – 1991
o Unappealing text/images – used only white, black, and blue
o Information contained is not practical/useful
o No circulation
· Waste and Recycling (628.4 JAM)
Barbara James
o Copyright date – 1990
o Text heavy
o Graphics are very dated looking and uninteresting
· Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling (628.4 KAL)
Bobbie Kalman
o Copyright date – 1991 (outside of recommended age guidelines)
o Not circulated within past 3 years (circulated only 2 times in past 5 years)
o Information is of little interest
Unappealing visually Reflection on Weeding:
I can see the importance of weeding to keep the collection fresh, current and meaningful. This means having a collection that is full of new or well-maintained materials which are accurate. We are at a time where people are feeling like we don’t need libraries because of digital technology. We should not reinforce this image by having materials which are old, outdated, irrelevant and well...useless cluttering up the shelves making the gems hard to find. I can see the need for diligence in weeding. It was time consuming evaluating the resource and I can see where if it was left long enough it could become an overwhelming job. This excercise was useful because it allowed me to see how time consuming it can be and the benefits of knowing the curriculum, the users, and the collection. I think setting aside some time each week to take care of weeding, as suggested in our class, is very wise advice. I can see where weeding will become much faster as experience is gained and once the TL knows the needs of the students, teachers, and curriculum. Even though I was unable to produce a report showing the weeded materials, I see the value in documenting the resources weeded. This way if I need to justify to someone why materials have been weeded from the collection I will have a clear rationale at the ready with examples which will further demonstrate the positive aspects of weeding. The TL in this library appears to be doing a good job making sure her collection is current and useful. She has many gems on the shelf which are easy to access and not lost amongst MUSTY materials.
Publishing Date and Circulation Reports:
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