When I came to my current media center, it had not had a through weeding in years.
I could go by smell (must and dust) and just a visual scan to pick out the out of
date books. I threw out about half the collection which caused my PTO to kick in a
large chunk of money to fill empty shelves. It also had the side benefit of
allowing the kids to see the newer titles that had be masked by so much old,
unattractive junk before any new titles were even added.
I now weed a section each year so that in 3 years Fiction, Easy, and Non-fiction
get a going over. I use the time at the end of the year to straighten shelves and
make a list of which books need to be replaced by new copies. New copies of Draw 50
and Curious George sure make the shelves more attractive.
The grief I first got from teachers about throwing out books has disappeared. I
cheerfully pushed carts of books down the hall to go to the dumpster, but the
library suddenly looked newer and more attractive. You could visably see where I
had weeded and where I stopped. I have been here for 6 years and the staff trust me
to do my job. Remind your staff that the competition for reading time is shiny new
videos and video games. Dusty, dirty, drab books don't have a chance. It's all
about marketing.
--
Pam Gelbmann, Media Specialist
Wilson Elem. MN
Pam.Gelbmann@comcast.net
"In the nonstop tsunami of global information librarians provide us
with floaties and teach us to swim."
--Linton Weeks, Washington Post, January 13, 2001
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@FWCDS.ORG>
> I have a great list of reasons TO WEED titles from the library and I'm
> presenting a workshop on "The Need to Weed" in a few weeks. I was just
> wondering, however, if there were any techniques that any of you used TO weed?
> In other words, do you find that you close the library to weed as you take
> inventory? Do you weed throughout the year and choose specific sections to
> concentrate on each year? Do you weed based upon the subjects being taught
> heavily (so you can have more up-to-date materials added)?
>
> I'm interested in any specific techniques you might use AND any special problems
> that you've found while weeding (in other words, do you find teachers who panic
> when they see the "weeded titles" piled on your carts? do you give them the old
> titles? do you pretend to return the title and then pull it later?)
>
> I think the comical "relief" that you can offer in this "serious topic" can help
> to make this more interesting.
>
> You may respond to me off-list!
>
> Thanks~
>
> ~Shonda
>
> Shonda Brisco, MLIS
> US / Technology Librarian
> Fort Worth Country Day School
> Fort Worth, TX
>
> "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you are
> doing the impossible."
> ~St. Francis of Assisi
> sbrisco@fwcds.org
> http://www.fwcds.org/campus/libraries/default.asp
>
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