Weeding Popular Materials Collections

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(This webinar and recording is only available to library staff in California. The recording will be available under the CALL Academy People Connect Institute category one week after delivery.)

When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Book hoarding does not create a useful collection. Weeding, or deselecting materials, must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron driven collection that serves its community.

As increasing demands tax libraries’ limited resources, every item in a physical collection must justify its shelf space; while every item, both physical and digital, vies for patrons’ time and attention. We’ll discuss practical advice for weeing popular materials collections for youth or adults across formats. Along the way, I’ll debunk some popular weeding excuses.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• articulate to internal and external stakeholders that weeding equally as important as important to selection to collection development
• implement logical, rigorous weeding doctrines within their popular materials collections
• weed to create space for new collections, highlight materials, and increase circulation with confidence
• promote patron driven collection policies and revitalize collections

Audience

• All staff that interact with the collection and the public
• Staff who select for the collection
• Staff who maintain the collection

Presenter:

Karen Toonen is the Collection Services Manager at Naperville Public Library, the second highest circulating public library in Illinois.  Throughout her time as a Readers Advisory Assistant, an Adult Services Librarian, and in Technical Services, Karen has remained focused on collections.

Karen has presented extensively on weeding and other collection development aspects at the regional, state, and national level. Her service on the Adult Reading Round Table's Steering Committee has not only allowed her to learn about weeding from colleagues across northern Illinois but also informed her philosophy that weeding and readers advisory go hand in hand.

CALL Training Partner: PCI Webinars

Track: Collection Management