Library media specialists must keep accurate records of library media center collections and programs. Records must be kept of additions and withdrawals. A shelf list or database of all materials and AV instructional equipment must be maintained. Accurate reporting is necessary for annual state reports and county inventories.
Additions and Withdrawals
Library media specialists must keep a cumulative summary of additions and withdrawals for all collections. Run a “Count of Items by Material Type” for your specified school at the beginning of the school year. This will provide base numbers for each area of the collection and allow you to plan for collection development and weeding.
Inventory
Inventory of all materials should be taken each year. This may be done at the end of the school year or may be conducted throughout the year. Library media specialists may establish a running inventory, checking certain groups of materials each month and report a cumulative result in June. Regardless of the method used, the library media specialist must keep accurate, up-to-date records of acquisitions and withdrawals.
Electronic Inventory
The inventory process in SageBrush Spectrum InfoCenter is designed to allow you to do a continuous inventory of your collection. Follow the directions distributed by SageBrush Spectrum to conduct an electronic inventory.
Shelf List Inventory
Arrange all materials in shelf list order to expedite the inventory. Print a Shelf List from InfoCenter. Check each item that is on the shelf against the printed list. Manage the missing copies either by locating copy or marking as lost.
Weeding
Once an adequate collection of materials has been established, it should be maintained at peak quality and usefulness. This can be done by adding materials as needed, by discarding those that are worn out, out-of-date, or no longer used, and by mending books in need of repairs. Weeding is second only to selection in keeping the collection current.
At least once a year the collection, both print and audiovisual, should be examined to find worn-out materials, to remove those items which no longer justify their space due to infrequent circulation, to consider replacement of poor editions by better ones, and to round-out the collection. This may or may not be done in connection with the shelf list inventory. Up to 5% of the collection should be weeded each year. The library media specialist must keep a careful accounting of the number of materials withdrawn. The tally of items withdrawn must be kept from June 1st of one year to May 31st of the next.
The library media specialist is responsible for deciding what to discard. Reference to standard lists and the advice of authorities in special fields should be the basis for retaining or discarding doubtful titles.
Mend those items that can be repaired quickly with simple materials. Rebind books only if they are out-of-print, or expensive and still in good condition.
Discard those items that fall into the following categories:
· Books with pages missing or badly torn
· Books with minute print, poor illustrations, and/or unattractive bindings when better editions are available
· Materials which have not circulated for a considerable time
· Numerous duplicates of seldom-used titles
· Series books of mediocre quality
· Items with inappropriate reading or interest level
· Materials which are out-of-date or inaccurate
· Fictionalized representations of life that have contributed to false and stereotyped concepts.
Criteria to consider when weeding include:
· Copyright
...........Below are some suggested guidelines.
Dewey Classifications
000..... 2-10 years
100..... 10 years
200..... 2-10 years
300..... 5-10 years
400..... 10 years
500..... 5-10 years
600..... 5-10 years
700..... 5-15 years
800..... flexible
900..... 15 years
...... Biographies - Flexible
...... Fiction - 10 years
...... Encyclopedias - 5-7 years
...... Reference - evaluation on individual basis
...... Periodicals - 5 years
...... Almanacs/Yearbooks - 3 years in reference, 3 additional years in circulation
· Content – should be relevant to the needs and curriculum of the school
· Physical condition – if in poor condition, repair or replace; does repair make sense?
· Number of circulations – This information can be found in SageBrush InfoCenter Reports (Titles & Items -> Items in a Selected Holdingscode…..). If an item hasn’t circulated for several years, consider weeding.
· Superseded – Is there newer information available?
Consider keeping:
· Classics, award winners; replace when condition deteriorates
· Local history
· Yearbooks and school publications
· Titles on current reading lists
· Out-of-print titles that are still useful
The American Library Association in cooperation with the Texas State Library (1976), coined the term MUSTY as a guide for weeding.
M - Misleading Can occur more rapidly in technology than in mythology Look for:“Dated” popular fictionObsolete informationRacial, cultural, or sexual stereotyping
U - Ugly Refers to the physical condition of the bookAntiquated appearanceWorn-out, frayed, dirtyUnable to mend
S - Superseded There are newer copies availableDuplicate copiesAlmanacs, yearbooks, encyclopedias superseded by newer editions
T - Trivial Look for appropriateness for the collection. Check for poor writing, inaccurate information, an inappropriate interest of reading level for students.
Y - Your collection... ...has no use for the book. It is irrelevant to your curriculum.
Withdrawals
After deciding which items to withdraw, remove the items through the Public Access Catalog (PAC) following instructions from SageBrush Spectrum Corporation.
Withdrawn books, magazines, and audiovisual items (e.g., videos, cassette tapes, etc.) that no longer have any value for resale should be disposed of at the school. Any items that have resale value will be made available for purchase in the LMC. Prices currently are 10¢ for magazines, 25¢ for paperbacks, and 50¢ for hardbacks.
LMC Vision
- Kathy Carlson
- I have learned SO much in the past two years as the Library Media Specialist! This Book Talk blog has been created with the hopes of sharing the love of books and reading with each other!
