I did not see the beginning of this thread when the questions was first asked, but
I am a retired high schoo librarian coming from a big city. I weeded a lot in my
library and all weeded books were bagged and sent to the dumpster. It took me a
while to get to this point, however...I had to ask myself: why would I want to put
in anyone's hands books that I weeded! At first, teachers and kids would take them
and then I would see them hanging out all over the building. No one ever really
used them. After a few years of this, I threw it all out! If it was not good enough
for my library shelves, it was not good enough to go in anyone's hands. I am glad
to say that the library supervisors over me (and the others in New York City) would
not want it any other way and I am glad. I think as librarians mature in the
profession, they are more careful about putting the best of information and the
best packages on the shelf.
----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Rider <CRIDER@VIGO.LIB.IN.US>
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2005 6:11 pm
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] What do you do with your weeded books?
> I work in a public library and we pick up discarded books from the
> schools in our area and the ones that are saleable condition go to our
> Friends Book Sales. The ones that are falling apart are taken to the
> dumpster. I think the schools can't sell them for the same reason
> thatthe public library can't sell them...something to do with
> being taxpayer
> supported I guess. But our Friends group IS allowed to sell our
> discards, and then they put the money into programming and special
> events, such as author visits, etc.
>
>
> Cindy Rider
> School Liaison Program Librarian
> Vigo County Public Library
> Terre Haute, IN
> crider@vigo.lib.in.us
> http://www.vigo.lib.in.us
>
> "If we didn't have libraries, many people thirsty for knowledge would
> dehydrate." (Megan Jo Tetrick, age 12, Daleville, Indiana)
>
> The Vigo County Public Library is "easy to find. It's the million-
> storybuilding at Seventh and Poplar streets." (Lori Henson in her
> "Briefcases" column, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 10/8/02)
>
> >>> Karen Mitchell <kem@QOFASCHOOL.ORG> 1/27/2005 6:02:09 PM >>>
> This is an issue that always bothers me. I just don't understand why
> most
> public schools don't put their discards up for giveaway and sale. I
> offer
> mine to the teachers for their classrooms, and any leftovers are then
> sold
> to students and parents at 10 cents each for paperbacks and 25 cents
> each
> for hardcovers. The books that don't sell in a month are given to the
> local
> St. Vincent de Paul store for sale there, and the proceeds go to their
> charities for the poor.
>
> Why don't public schools do the same? Does anyone REALLY think that
> the
> taxpayers are going to be happier that discards are carted to the
> dumpster
> than that they are sold at a nominal price to the children? Or given
> to
> worthy charities? Is it that the school administrators somehow think
> that
> no one will know that library books are ever discarded if they are
> secretly
> thrown away? Can they really be fooling themselves that much?
> What a
> waste!
>
> Why ARE there so many restrictions on what the public school
> librarianscan
> do with their discards?
>
> Karen Mitchell, Librarian
> Queen of Angels School (K-8)
> 1007 S. Oak Street
> Port Angeles WA 98362
>
> ----------------------------------
> kem@qofaschool.org
> ----------------------------------
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Emily Smith" <emily822@OPTONLINE.NET>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 1:01 PM
> Subject: [LM_NET] What do you do with your weeded books?
>
>
> > This is probably more of a vent than anything else...but I
> wanted to
> see
> > what others do...
> >
> > I've been in my school for 5 years now. When I have weeded
> before, I
> would
> > put the books on a cart and put them in the faculty room for a few
> weeks
> > with a "take me!" sign. Rarely did anything get taken....so
> basically at
> > the end of the few weeks I was carting the books to the dumpster
> (our
> > school doesn't allow us to give them to students or sell them).
> >
> > I'm doing a major weeding right now of our Easy books-- and both of
> my
> > aides are on my case about throwing out books. In my mind, if
> they're not
> > circulating, they're taking up space...many of the books I'm pulling
> > haven't gone out in 5+ years.
> >
> > Guess I'm just feeling like I'm doing something 'wrong' by not
> finding
> > SOMEONE to take these books, but we have so many restrictions on
> whatwe
> > can do with them...UGH!!
> >
> > Please respond off list...
> > Thanks,
> > Emily
> >
> > Emily Smith, Librarian
> > JH West Elementary, NY
> > ESmith@plainedgeschools.org/Emily822@optonline.net
>
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