The Weeding Handbook: A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide

by Rebecca Vnuk

“No! We can’t rid of that!” Vnuk, author of the popular “Weeding Tips” column on Booklist Online, is here to show you that yes, you can. A library is an ever-changing organism; when done the right way, weeding helps a library thrive by focusing its resources on those parts of the collection that are the most useful to its users. Her handbook takes the guesswork out of this delicate but necessary process, giving public and school library staff the knowledge and the confidence to effectively weed any collection, of any size. Going through the proverbial stacks shelf by shelf,
-Explains why weeding is important for a healthy library, demonstrating that a vibrant collection leads to robust circulation, which in turn affects library budgets

-Walks readers through a library’s shelves by Dewey area, with recommended weeding criteria and call-outs in each area for the different considerations of large collections and smaller collections

-Features a chapter addressing reference, media, magazines and newspapers, e-books, and other special materials

-Shows how a solid collection development plan uses weeding as an ongoing process, making it less stressful and more productive

-Offers guidance for determining how to delegate responsibility for weeding, plus pointers for getting experienced staff on board

-Gives advice for educating the community about the process, how to head off PR disasters, and what to do with weeded materials

-Includes a dozen sample collection development plans, easily adaptable to suit a library’s individual needs

Filled with field-tested, no nonsense strategies, this handbook will enable libraries to bloom by maintaining a collection that users actually use.

Genres: Nonfiction, Librarianship, Library Science, Adult, Reference, Management, How To

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful, practical guide to weeding. Occasionally Vnuk makes pronouncements about how things should be done that really aren't one-library-fits-all, but overall this book would be invaluable for trepidatious weeders or those just learning the fine art of weeding.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So helpful whether your library is doing a deep weed or looking for some weeding guidelines. This short book enabled me to start countless conversations on the subject and for that I am FOREVER GREATFUL.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm heading into a much-needed weeding project at my library, and this book was really helpful in many different ways in how to tackle things. Not only does it go section-by-section and talks about topics you may need, what can stay, what can be weeded, etc., but it also includes several helpful tips for the things around weeding projects that you might not think of. Messaging for the masses, getting your staff on-board, interviews with actual librarians at actual libraries about their weeding projects, some (full) example collection development plans with annotations to consider, it's quite comprehensive. One of my favorite things I pulled from here was a sample weeding schedule, which breaks down a collection by month, and gives you target areas to review/weed each month. Obviously it needs to be tailored to your specific collection, but it's a handy jumping off point for a large project like mine.

It does try to state absolutes in a field where, as we all know, nothing is absolute, but if you're able to read critically and understand that things may be different in your specific collection and how to apply the knowledge, there's a lot of good here.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful reference guide on weeding for any librarian. The book focuses more towards public library needs and standards. I still found it useful in the community college setting, particularly because we use Dewey and have more of a general collection focus. However, I think the author is more aggressive of a weeder than many librarians can afford to be. If I had an unlimited budget I would be able to weed as she suggests, but as it is I can only order a few books a month. Weeding as aggressively as the author suggests would leave me with pretty empty shelves, which in my eyes is a bigger problem than having old books around- outdated information is another thing altogether. I guess this is an "ideal situation" type of book- not for libraries in which collection development has been neglected for a long time, or for libraries with very small budgets.

The book includes general weeding advice, then goes into suggestions for dealing with each Dewey range, then finally talks about collection development policies and includes a number of examples.

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite professional book. Practical guidelines and advice in a readable -and enjoyable- format. Very useful.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pacy and helpful book to read. When I worked in public libraries I always enjoyed weeding, and I think it has a key role in developing and maintaining library collections. Too often people are at extremes either weeding little or taking a slash and burn (or throw) approach with little regard to the actual statistics on use (or consideration of poor cataloguing or inadequate displays or even poorly managed selection). Vnuk also highlights the importance of informing the community so they are seeing you manage rather than pillage the collection.

This is a detailed booked looking at the different number classifications, however the most helpful sections are looking at the over all strategy of weeding, and references to other resources such as Crew and the examples from specific libraries mentioned within the book. While some of the material is slightly dated, the big picture information is still crucial. It also includes the need to manage your econtent selections.

I read this on Indyreads.

[Toastkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts - Oh... my... goodness! It's refreshing to finally find a book that not only has the same attitude towards weeding that I have, but the introduction and sporadic commentary throughout the text made me grin and laugh and punch the air while exclaiming "YES! FINALLY!" Two chapters in, and I have not only expended a good number of sticky notes for copying, I have also added this book to my Amazon wishlist and is the first book in my supplemental reading to have that honor. To simply say "this is a good book" isn't enough. If I were a teacher of library sciences or any level of library training and schooling, this would be a required read. Not only does it go over the fundamentals of why you should weed, but it takes the reader through step by step, shelf by shelf reasons and timelines for analyzing and weeding the library. There's no fluff, there's no filler. This is a technical handbook that should be on the shelf, or at least the bedside table, of every librarian of every level.

Thoughts Continued: So yeah, this is the first book of my supplemental reading that I took the time to purchase for my personal collection and use. It's *that* good. It's *that* useful. Seriously, if you are a librarian of any range of qualification, you should read this book. Even if you don't personally interact with the collection or do the weeding or purchasing, you should still read this book. 5 stars, would, and most likely will, read again.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work in a large public library system. I saw this was a new edition and I had just had to check it out.
Rebecca Vnuk, as the book description says, brings a book that takes out all of the guess work. The validity and reasoning (no matter the size of your library) makes sense. I do understand that budgeting is always a concern, BUT...there are still things that should go. This book provides you with the validity, ease of finding the sections you're looking for with each section of non-fiction, youth, early lit or adult resources. It does cover more than just books too. Not only does Vnuk provide her own reasons and background, they show off a lot of libraries (public and academic) and how they weed.
I personally love weeding, but this book validates what I do and just goes to prove that even libraries need their own upkeep handbook. This is the only one you will need.

[Becky Ginther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for work and it was a really excellent resource. She has a lot of good stuff to say about weeding, and the importance of it, but also some more concrete ways to get the process going. Hopefully we can get everyone in the library reading this book and on board for a major weeding project.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weeding library collections can be one of the most challenging parts of a librarian’s job. I know that, when I weed by teen fiction section, it is all I can do to stave off tears of frustration. Most guidelines say to start with books that have not circulated in three to five years. I snort-laugh every time I read this because, due to space constraints, I am very lucky if I can keep something that hasn’t circulated in ONE year.

While most of the suggestions and guides listed here were old-hat to me, I can see this handbook being extremely helpful to someone new to weeding collections. The part that I personally will be using in detail is the sections about collection development plans (including sample plans) as I work on creating a plan for the teen and graphic novel collections for my library.

If you find yourself frustrated and thinking “why didn’t they teach this in library school?”, this is the book to grab! It will take very little time to read the book – and the information you glean will be priceless.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

As someone who recently took over a position at my library that involved weeding, I found this guide extremely helpful. It is a great place to start for those new to weeding or looking for a more systematic structure to the process.

The book gives information on the basics of weeding before going through each section (Dewey Decimal numbers, fiction, and other areas) with special considerations for each. It also emphasizes the importance of having a collection development plan to help guide selection and deselection.

The writing is at times humorous, which also made for a fun reading experience. Also includes short interviews throughout with various professionals on their weeding philosophies, how they ensure a diverse collection, the weeding process at their library, and notable weeding stories.

The backmatter contains samples of collection development plans as well as further suggested readings.

The newest edition includes some considerations for diversity and inclusion. I found the advice rather vague and generic. The same advice was repeated in multiple sections and boiled down roughly to consider keeping books written by diverse authors for longer. Good place to start the process. The end of the chapter does include further resources for diverse collections and diversity audits.

Overall though, a really fantastic, helpful guide to start weeding more systematically.

[Kathy KS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this title was a very helpful tool for assisting librarians when weeding. Each section takes a Dewey area or various formats and gives clear, concise information of points to consider when deciding whether to weed, retain, repair, or replace with another edition or title.

The final portion of the book consists of examples of weeding and selection policies for a variety of libraries. Even though most are from large collection, this gives the librarian some possible wordage to write a local policy (or fine-tune one).

I found all of the information in this book inspiring... I'm ready to jump in and do some weeding now!

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book. So many librarian guides are boring AF and tedious and self-indulgent and not that useful; this one was interesting, well-written, full of fascinating anecdotes, but also arranged in a way that was useful and helpful in your weeding. I recently did a weed of our biographies and the other librarian was shocked that I was getting rid of a VERY dated Sacajawea. "But it's racist!" She gasped. So many old biographies are full of racist stereotypes. Love that she also gives ideas on what to do when people are opposed to your weed. Highly recommend to all librarians.

[Beate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you're new to weeding, but since I've been doing it for years, there was a lot that I already knew, and there was a few instances where I checked the publishing date of the book, mostly related to specific suggestions.

Having said that, I really appreciate the book as a starting point for creating collection development plans specific to the organization, and the fact that it has multiple examples of what has worked for other libraries.

[Lisa Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was not much new for me personally in this, but I have participated in a lot of weeding in the last few years. I do like the examples of collection development plans in the back of the book, worth it for those references alone. This is a slim reference guide at 196 pages including index, but it is relevant and I do not disagree with anything she has written.

[Teri Stich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for work. Not as good as I hoped, mostly referred you to other books and websites. Did give general criteria for weeding each section of the library and good reasons as to why one should read. Author does have a great sense of humor. I'm just glad we borrowed this from another library and didn't spend the money, as most of it is just common sense. Does make for a good jumping off place.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative look into the weeding process with plenty of helpful tips to make an informed decision for one's library and community. With discussion on electronic items, travel guides, non-fiction, and book series, this is a necessary guide for anyone who is unsure about what to keep and what to toss.

[David Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely for the library professional. It provides those in the field straightforward look at weeding library collections, covering the handling of each Dewey Classification. My only reservation here is the fact that it focuses on public libraries and only briefly touches on K-12 school library collections. Overall, it is an invaluable field guide for managing library collections.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any librarian starting a weeding project should start by reading this. Practical tips and ideas to guide the project. The variety of examples will help librarians craft weeding policies and procedures that work for their library/community.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take. I liked the examples and enjoyed seeing another view.

[Jenny Wirtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for my weeding project in the high school library!

[Kbreach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting. Provided good encouragement and helpful pointers and tips for this first year school librarian.

[B. Zelkovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource. I'll probably buy a copy to have on hand through the school year. A little dry though, it was easy for me to tune out, hence the four stars.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific practical guide on how to weed the library shelf by shelf.

[Jocelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent weeding reference.

[Collette Mcdonough · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was helpful for me to a point.

[Sydney Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professional read. Helpful guide for library workers. I read the updated version, 2022 version

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, consise and very helpful. A great resource for weeding your library .

[Chanelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re familiar with CREW guidelines, this book does not add much for consideration.

[Patrice Sartor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a part-time librarian, and most of my off-desk hours revolve around collection development. I've read the CREW Method, and I've read some of Vnuk's articles in Booklist. I read this one to gain any new suggestions and perspectives. After an overview and discussion of "The Basics", the chapters are sorted by Dewey Decimal Classification, making for a handy and easy reference guide. I skipped the chapters that I don't play a part in weeding or purchasing for, though all those that I read offered some solid tips on specific DDC shelves.

Next Vrunk describes the ways weeding can fail, and also provides some insight on weeding youth collections. Vnuk strongly (and rightly so) suggests each library create a collection development plan. As an aid to this task, about half of the book consists of sample collection plans (which I skimmed) from various libraries. Vnuk has chosen a wide variety of plans, so every librarian should be able to utilize something appropriate for their library. These plans can likely be found online, but having them all in one easily searchable location ensures this book will continue to be used as a reference tool.

A Suggested Reading list is a welcome addition, and the index appears thorough. The only parts that gave me pause are the suggested weeding schedules. For example, Vnuk suggests that weeding for the 200s "should be every six years." Every six years! Other sections also note that several years should pass between weeding times. I often weed a section concurrently with my main purchasing for that fiscal year; I cannot imagine waiting that long between weeding times. It's possible I'm misunderstanding something, though my information is taken from the Retention and Weeding timetables on page 16.

Overall, this title will be most helpful as a go-to book if your library needs to create or update a collection development plan. The weeding guidelines for specific sections and the general tips are worth reading, though of course, create a method that works best for you.