Things to consider
Consider this:
- Length of time since the book was last checked out (on average 5 years)
- Age of the book in terms of copyright date (on average 5 years, although age is more telling in some parts of the Dewey scheme than in others, e. g., medical, legal, current events, and computer subjects need to be very current)
- Condition of the book
Guidelines
Weeding/De-selection Guidelines
Weeding is an essential component of any collection development plan in order to maintain a collection that meets the needs of students and the curriculum. The weeding guidelines should include reasons for weeding and criteria for de-selection. The following points may be used as the foundation for weeding guidelines:
You NEED to Weed…
- To maintain a current, useful, dynamic collection
- To adapt to changing needs and interests of students and teachers
- To accommodate changes in the school’s curriculum
- To make the best use of floor and shelf space
- To improve the physical appearance of the collection
- To assess the collection’s strengths and weaknesses
- To increase circulation
Dewey Weeding Guidelines
A Rule of Thumb Chart for Weeding the Collection Dewey Number
|
DEWEY SECTION |
WEEDING CRITERIA |
|
000 |
2-10 years (computer tech books may age faster) |
|
100 |
10 years |
|
200 |
2-10 years |
|
300 |
5-10 years |
|
400 |
10 years |
|
500 |
5-10 years (some science titles may age faster) |
|
600 |
5-10 years (technology titles may age faster) |
|
700 |
5-15 years |
|
800 |
Flexible |
|
900 |
5-10 years (country books, atlas, maps may age faster) |
|
Biographies |
Flexible - 10 years for contemporary subjects |
|
Encyclopedias |
5 years (consider online versions) |
|
Almanacs |
3 years |
|
Periodicals |
3 years; 6 months if superseded by electronic resources |
|
Fiction |
10 years (you may want to keep award winners) |
|
Audio & Video |
Check periodically for condition and content |
