All about weeding...

The question we are most often asked in the Friends Used Bookstore-is ‘Why on earth did the Library get rid of this book-it looks almost new!”

 Because we had no answer, I talked with Karin von Wittgenstein, Library Director to find out how the decision to remove a book from the shelf was made.

 First we talked about why weed at all: space is a big factor-in order for new books to be available, some have to be removed. New books need to be added to reflect the developing needs of the community, make most recent material available, and ensure an attractive display that promotes turnover.

 The main point Karin made was that the decision to remove a book is not made lightly-it involves much thought, examination of the book from a number of perspectives.

 Some reasons are obvious it is ugly, worn , torn, in disrepair, or there are more than 1 copy.

 Some factors considered concern the book’s content- the information must be accurate and current, not outdated or misleading and relevant to the needs and interests of the community ( reflected in the number of times someone has taken the book out).

Some other factors are subjective-is the content trivial, of no discernable value, is it of local or historical interest. Perhaps another book providing better information on the topic has become available.

 With fiction, the general rule-of thumb is to withdraw books with a copyright date older than 6 or 7 years, especially if it has had low circulation. That is why some of the books look so new. Books withdrawn with a recent copyright date are generally duplicates.

 I also learned that the rarity of a book is a factor in the ‘to keep or not to keep’ decision. If there are few other copies available, it will be retained in the library’s collection.

 Collectability, however, is not a major concern. I guess that’s where used bookstores come in!