Weeding Procedures

Revised 8/1/2012

1. The area to be weeded is determined and the process begins.

• The Librarian will proceed to the designated area and begin weeding. 
• Using the criteria in the collection development policy, the librarian will pull the titles they deem appropriate candidates for weeding.
• Once a book truck has been filled with weeded titles, it should be taken to the Circulation area on the 2nd floor. 
      

2. Circulation staff will change each pulled item's location code to “Weeding Project: Ask at Circulation Desk, Floor 2."

• This location will appear in the Library’s public catalog. If anyone does ask for a weeded book, it can be located in the weeding area.
• Circulation staff will notify the weeding librarian, the Collection Development Librarian, and the DMS Librarian when the location changes are completed.
• The librarian asks Circulation staff to either place the books on the special project shelves or leave on the book truck. If the librarian wants the material left on the book truck to continue work later, they must resume weeding as soon as possible. Book trucks, particularly if they belong to Circulation, should not be tied up for long periods of time or left cluttering up the sorting area.

3. When notified by Collection Development Librarian, DMS staff generate a list of weeded items and forward it to Collection Development.

• For each title, the list includes call number, title, author, publisher, publication date, total number of checkouts, date of last checkout, and item creation date.
• The Collection Development Librarian reviews the list and sends it to the subject librarian that performed the weeding.
• The librarian should review circulation data to consider keeping or updating titles that are currently in demand and item creation date to re-review items that have been recently added to the collection.
• To help faculty review the list, the librarian may want to add notes to the spreadsheet to indicate reasons for weeding (older edition, duplicate, outdated content, damaged, etc.).

4. The weeding librarian forwards the weeding list to the affected academic department(s) or discipline(s).

• The list is sent to the appropriate faculty library representatives. They will be asked to notify the entire faculty in their departments.
• Faculty have two (2) weeks to review the list and respond. After two weeks, if there is no response from the department, the Library will proceed with weeding the items.
• Faculty can simply send back a list of items they need the Library to retain OR they may come and review the books in person on the special project shelves behind the Circulation desk.
• The weeded books will be available for review during all hours that the library is open.

5. After the two week time period, the weeding librarian reviews faculty input, and makes withdraw/keep decisions. 

• The librarian indicates to Circulation staff
  • which materials are to be retained in collection and have their location changed back from weeding project to regular location
  • which materials should be set aside for dissemination rather than discard, if any.
  The rest can be withdrawn and discarded (default).
• If there is any disagreement between the librarian and the department faculty about whether a book should be retained or weeded, the Collection Development Librarian will be consulted. In such cases, after input from the involved parties, the final disposition of the book(s) will be determined by the Associate Vice President, University Library.
• The librarian forwards decisions to Collection Development and Circulation staff.
• If the librarian chooses to disseminate rather than discard, the librarian will be responsible for arranging delivery of the items to their new owner.

6. Circulation staff update locations for items to keep.

• Circulation staff pull items deemed to be kept from weeding shelf, change their location back to the appropriate floor, and return them to the stacks.

7. DMS staff are notified when books are ready to be withdrawn.

• DMS staff prepare a final list of items to be weeded and forward to Head of Acquisitions and Collection Development Librarian.
• DMS staff isolate any serial items from the weeding file, then notify Continuing Resources Cataloging staff that the serial records need to be suppressed, updated, or deleted as appropriate and to cancel or update OCLC holdings as needed.
• DMS staff suppress or delete records and cancels OCLC holdings as appropriate.

8. DMS staff notify Circulation when items have been suppressed/deleted from the catalog.

• Circulation staff stamp items as “withdrawn,” and dispose of material.

9. As per the Texas State University System Rules  and Regulations, Subparagraph 6.(13) of Chapter III, p.III-17, Disposal of Property and Equipment, de-accessioned material from the Alkek collection may be

• offered to local public school or other governmental libraries, preference being given to low performing schools (Tx Gov.Code §2175.304), or
• offered to other Texas State University System libraries (exchange or bartering).

10. If no other system library desires the material, we may offer to other TexShare libraries or appropriate national library material exchange lists.

11. After 30 days on a TexShare or library material exchange list, unwanted material may be offered to used book or out-of-print dealers, for sale or negotiated exchange.

12. If none of the options mentioned in # 9, 10, or 11 of this procedure document apply to the disposal of the material, they may be offered to some national or international non-profit book repository or discarded.