I LOVE to weed! I've been in several districts and each has its own
philosophy about how to discard books. A professionally run library =
media
program will always promote appropriate weeding, which really is part of
collection development. My district has an online survey where they ask
teachers a simple question (among many, many others!), "Does your school
library media center have current, up-to-date books on the topics you =
and
your students need?" Current here means within the last 10 years!
Halleluiah! A district that supports current materials in the =
collection.=20
As an aside, I view the LMC as a learning laboratory. How can a lab have
out-dated materials? Get rid of the stuff! If it doesn't belong in your
library, how can it belong in the classroom?
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Reed - Ann Cober
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 2:13 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: SHARE: New life for used books CAUTION
re: "I give up. We smuggle books to the dumpster in plain, unmarked =
boxes,
like we are moving contraband across the border."
Hear, Hear !!! Someone who finally tells it, like it is.
The only way I throw out books now (after 25 years of fighting this
perpetual problem) is singlely in the trash can...each and everyone =
marked
in black permanent marker... "Deleted" or "Withdrawn" WITH what's wrong =
with
it... "pages missing" or "damaged" also in black permanent marker. =
WITH
the barcode ripped off. Sometimes, when I'm in a snit (that happens =
when
I've just had that same comversation AGAIN about "throwing away good =
books"
) I even remove the front cover and throw it out on another trash day.
I think the WORST EVER PR that has ever come from weeding books is from =
my
own teachers. They do NOT understand professional library weeding
philosophy. This goes especially for when in the past I have put the =
weeded
books in the teachers' lounge for teachers to choose from in case they =
could
make use of any of the titles. The comments are often snide. Such as =
"I
NEED XXX... and SHE is THROWING away GOOD BOOKS. Believe me, every time =
I
have explained the professional philosophy... for all the good it has
done...
The down side of this, I believe library schools are still telling new
"librarians-to-be" to donate old books to classrooms, teachers and
elsewhere. And if that is so, it is quite a disservice.
A point: I have always donated specific books that are still good, but
not appropriate, i.e. great titles, but not used for a long =
time....case
in point, some great how-to books on stage production... to the teachers
that could make use of them. BUT they have become a terrible problem...
they are continuously returned to the library, because they still look =
like
library books...even when I've written, again in black permanent
marker..."property of" with the teacher's name...
The only bright spot in this for me now, is that I presently have
supervisors that understand and promote and as well as stand behind us =
in
proforming our weeding duties. And that has not always been the case.
Thank you Tony, for putting this perpetual problem in the same context =
that
my 25 years of experience shows it to exist in... to the dumpster "like
contraband to the border."
On Mon, 3 Nov 2003, Anthony C. Doyle wrote:
> When I weed books that are inappropriate to give to students or to put =
> in the classroom I have to box them and have my student helpers put=20
> them directly in the dumpster when no one is watching. My=20
> predecessors
> (apparently) did no weeding. I have spent 6 years trying to get rid =
of
> all of the garbage. The teachers and custodians were freaked at the
> idea of a librarian throwing out books. If we put books in the =
garbage
> can, the custodians would take them out. If we box them and leave =
them
> for the custodians to remove, clearly labeled as trash, they leave =
them,
> certain that I have made a horrendous mistake. I had a teacher =
actually
> stop my TAs from throwing books in the dumpster, certain that they had
> misunderstood me or that Mr. Doyle had lost his mind. I have had the
> "can't these books be donated..." conversation with at least 10
> teachers. No matter how eloquently (or forcefully) I argue you can =
see
> in their eyes that they are never fully convinced. They are sure =
there
> is a flaw in my logic that they are missing. I give up. We smuggle
> books to the dumpster in plain, unmarked boxes, like we are moving
> contraband across the border.
>
> ----
> Tony Doyle, Librarian
> Livingston High School, Livingston, CA
> tdoyle@muhsd.k12.ca.us=20
> <Http://www.lhs.muhsd.k12.ca.us/library/index.htm>
> "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people=20
> to stop reading them."-- Ray Bradbury
>
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______R____E____A_____D_______________R_____E_____A_____D_______
Ann Cober Reed, MLIS, Librarian/Media Specialist
A 1999 Maryland Technology Academy Fellow
Col. Richardson High S., 25320 Richardson Road
Federalsburg, Maryland 21632
(MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE...THE DELMARVA PENINSULA)
______________________R_____E_____E____D__________________
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