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I've just finished removing about 2,000 titles from my library (no inventory
or weeding in ten years).  I started keeping just a short report (using
Follett) of the books that I weeded, then I realized that I'm just making a
stack of papers that will eventually be tossed.

Now, I'm making a short list of subjects that relate to some of the books
that I've weeded rather than printing out the documents.  For example, if
I've weeded 60 titles from science I may have this list:
    12 ---- mathematics
    11 ---- specific planets (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, Saturn)
    16 --- zoology (North American animals, dogs, cats, horses)
    11 --- plants (Texas, trees of North America)
    10 ---fossils

Because most of the titles are outdated, worn, yellow, and unattractive
(thus the reason for removal), I'm not as concerned about what I've weeded
from that standpoint as I am about the subject content that has been removed
from the shelves.  Most teachers and students would rather find books on the
shelves of their subjects than find nothing.  Unfortunately, I know that
many of the titles they are trying to use (and have used) are outdated and
need replacing.

Once you've finished weeding the collection, you can do a calculation
through Follett to determine the number of books you have in each area and
the age of that section.  This will give you an indication of what needs to
be updated.  However, unless you allow a company such as Follett or Mackin
do an inventory assessment in your library to determine your "weak areas,"
you may still not know what areas need rebuilding unless you assess what
you've weeded through some type of system.

This is the easiest way for me to quickly create a working list of subject
areas to update (replace) after my weeding.  (Oh, my library assistant will
"have a cow" when she returns to find everything gone...and
re-arranged....but that's another story!)  We start school on the 14th...but
I never left!

Good luck!

~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura Given" <orinda5@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 7:01 PM
Subject: TAR: A record of weeded books?


> I am starting my first year as an elementary library media specialist
> this fall, and I am spending the summer getting ready and weeding a
> collection that has (ahem) not been weeded in quite some time.
>
> My question is...
> Do you keep a record of the books you weed? Why or why not? In what
> form - just numbers or actual book information?
>
> On the same topic...
> I use a Follett system (which I am currently learning). My one idea is
> to create a patron named "Weeded", check out all the weeded books to
> that patron, print out the list to save, and then delete the records.
> This would mean (as far as I can figure) going through the books twice
> - does anyone have a simpler way? Am I ultimately making more work for
> myself?
>
> I found this question asked about this time last year in the archives,
> but I couldn't find responses or a hit. I would greatly appreciate any
> help!
> Thank you for your amazing collective wisdom,
> Laura Given
>
> ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
> Laura Given, Media Specialist
> Brimhall Elementary School
> Roseville, MN
> laura.given@rams.roseville.k12.mn.us
> ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
>
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