LibGuides: Weeding: Home

Collection Management Policies
From the Massachusetts Policy Collection, a community dependent aggregator of policies from Massachusetts libraries.
caveat lector: links may be broken
Curating Collections
Another handy resource guide from MLS. Consultant April Mazza demystifies collection curation. Topics covered include: Book evaluation (which is different from reviews), refreshing collections, and tackling racism in classic children's literature.
CREW
Continuous Review, Evaluation & Weeding is a de rigeur professional standard intended for public libraries using Dewey classification. CREW is an extension of MUSTIE. The full guide is available to download for free.
Weeding Library Collections: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for Library Collection Evaluation
For the discerning Collection Manager, a reading list curated by fellow librarians through ALA professional activity. ALA Fact Sheet 15.

Children's Core Collection by H. W. Wilson (Editor)
The Children's Core Collection, (23rd Edition, 2018) is a guide of approximately 12,000 books, covering fiction and nonfiction works, story collections, picture books, graphic novels and magazines recommended for readers from preschool through grade six. It is a comprehensive list of recommended books for children, together with review sources and other professional aids for librarians and school media specialists.
Fiction Core Collection by HW Wilson
Publication Date: 2022-07-30
H.W. Wilson's Fiction Core Collection (21st Edition, 2022) provides the busy librarian with expert collection development advice on the most highly recommended works of classic and contemporary fiction. Over 7,600 titles are included-all are popular works deemed to have lasting value to readers as well as new literary and genre titles that have been recognized as significant achievements in their respected areas of literature. Fiction Core Collection is designed to help librarians make the best of their fiction collection. Title Selection & Purchasing Readers' Advisory Support Cataloging Support Collection Development & Maintenance
Graphic Novels Core Collection by HW Wilson
Publication Date: 2022-12-30
For over 50 years, H.W. Wilson's Core Collections have been librarians' must-have guide to the best fiction and non-fiction works for all types of collections. We are proud to announce the fourth edition of Core Collection: Graphic Novels. In the past ten years, the popularity of graphic novels has grown exponentially. In many libraries, graphic novels have become one of the most widely circulated genres. Plus, graphic novels can energize reluctant readers and have been shown to be a productive educational tool, especially with ESL readers. Due to the growing popularity of graphic novels at all age levels, and the overwhelming influx of new titles on the market, librarians need more guidance than ever to select the best graphic novels for their collection. H.W. Wilson's new Graphic Novels Core Collection (4th Edition, 2022) provides expert recommendations, developed by H.W. Wilson's team of library and media specialists. Whether for collection development, collection maintenance, readers' advisory, or curriculum support, Graphic Novels Core Collection provides the sound guidance that librarians need so they can rest assured that they are selecting materials that will best serve their collection and their patrons. This fourth edition includes nearly 2,500 book titles at the Most Highly Recommended and Core Collection recommendation levels. A star at the start of an entry indicates that the book is a ""most highly recommended"" title. These titles constitute a shortlist of the essential books in a given category or on a given subject. Each title includes content descriptions and quotes from selected reviews. The graphic novels in this collection cover a wide variety of genres including adventure, biography, fantasy, superhero, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and more. All books listed are published in the United States, or published in Canada or the United Kingdom and distributed in the United States. The Core Collection excludes non-English-language materials, with the exception of bilingual materials. It does include English-language translations of international material, including Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, Franco-Belgian comics, and others.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection (2022) by HW Wilson
ISBN: 9781642658057
Publication Date: 2022-01-30
Middle & Junior High School Core Collection, (15th Edition, 2022) is a guide to over 10,000 fiction and non-fiction books recommended for children and young adolescents, grades five through nine.
Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction, 18th Edition (2023) by Hw Wilson (Editor)
Publication Date: 2023-03-31
Wilson's Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction (17th Edition, 2019) recommends reference and nonfiction books for the general adult audience. It is a guide to over 9,000, plus review sources and other professional aids for librarians and media specialists.
Senior High Core Collection by HW Wilson
ISBN: 9781637000625
Publication Date: 2022-11-30
H.W. Wilson's Senior High Core Collection (23rd Edition) identifies essential material available for high school libraries and young adult collections. It is a helpful guide to over 8,200 recommended fiction and nonfiction titles for adolescents and young adults-grade nine through twelve. Librarians have relied on the expert recommendations in Senior High Core Collection for years for collection development guidance. It is an ideal tool for Purchasing & Title Selection, Readers' Advisory, Curriculum Support, Collection Development & Maintenance and Professional Development.

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Professional resources informing your decisions

Medical Library Association
MLA publishes the few books offering guidance of consumer health and health science libraries.
Doody's Core Titles
A collection development tool for health sciences libraries of all sizes including title recommendations from 200+ medical librarians and content experts.
Choice Reviews
Choice is a publishing unit at the Association of College & Research Libraries. Choice provides objective, high-quality evaluations of nonfiction academic writing.
Resources for College Libraries
A collaborative effort between ACRL's Choice and Bowker, this resource covers the entire two-year and four-year college curriculum and provides a list of core titles that are essential for undergraduate study.
ALCTS Collection Management Resources
The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services is the ALA division offering the most comprehensive guidance for all things collection management.

Collection analysis

Collection analysis is a process of calculating rudimentary performance metrics using holdings and circulation data. The calculations may point out parts of the collection that need to be weeded, or need to be grown. Collection analysis is a useful tool in that it doesn't offer generalizations based on national standards, but quantifies performance based on how your community actually uses your library.

Collection Analysis description
A succinct introduction to the Collection Analysis process and application.
Collection Analysis Worksheet
A simple worksheet to guide you when you plan how you will organize and structure the data that will need to be extracted from your circulation system.

Please reach out to Anna Popp, MLS Consultant with questions or for one-on-one help with your collection analysis.

What you need to weed

Local Direction

Library's Collection Management Policy
Library or Organization's Strategic Plan (aka Long Range Plan)
Community profile

Standards

Any appropriate Core Catalog (ex. HW Wilson, Credo)
Professional standards
- ex. CREW selection standards
- ex. Medical Library Association guidance
- ex. Diversity Audit guidance from your professional association

Data

Dusty book report and analytics from your Integrated Library System
Collection Analysis

Your expertise and professionalism

You are the magic ingredient that takes into consideration the above guidance handed down by your community, your profession, and your circulation system. With your knowledge and professional skills, you balance that guidance with what you know about your community and budget, as well as industry trends.

The following works are cited in the Weeding workshop:

Slote, Stanley J. 1997. Weeding library collections library weeding methods. Englewood, Colo: Libraries Unlimited.

Roy, Loriene. 1990. "Weeding Without Tears". Collection Management. 12 (1-2): 83-93.

Shaw, Ralph R. "The Influence of Sloping Shelves on Book Circulation." The Library Quarterly 8, no. 4 (1938): 480-90.

MLS Consultant

Anna Popp

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Subjects: Marketing and Outreach, Readers' Advisory, Reference

Weeding: Home

See also