Weeding of resources will be conducted on a systematic basis using specific criteria. Weeding is conducted to remove and/or replace resources that are outdated, superseded, non-relevant, low/no use, and/or in poor condition. Materials weeded from the collection will be disposed of in the manner deemed appropriate by the Library.
Audiovisual: Review of the physical media collection for withdrawal should be conducted at least every five years. The purpose of the review is to:
- Reduce duplication in physical form and online
- Remove outdated, superseded information
- Replace highly used and/or worn items within the collection with streaming media options where possible
- Withdraw titles with low use (no more than 5 check-outs in the last 10 years), or, no use and older than 10 years
- Use cost savings to enhance streaming media collections and database offerings, enhance collections to support new programs, and off-set flat budgets and reductions.
U.S. Federal Documents: Review of federal documents for withdrawal are conducted in accordance with Depository guidelines.
Monographs: Review of the monograph collection for withdrawal should be conducted at least every five years. The purpose of the review is to:
- Reduce duplication in print and online. Preference will be given to retaining online monographs; print may be preferred when the study of disciplinary content is improved (e.g. fine arts)
- Remove outdated, superseded information
- Replace highly used and/or worn items within the collection
- Withdraw titles with low use (no more than 5 check-outs within the last 10 years), or, no use and older than 10 years
- Employ shared collection resources to support non-primary curricular interests
- Use cost savings to enhance database offerings, build new collections, and offset flat budgets and reductions.
Journals: Review of journal subscriptions for withdrawal will be conducted on a four-year cycle by subject discipline. The purpose of the review is to:
- Reduce duplication of non-core subscriptions in print and online. Preference will be given to retaining online journals.
- Cancel and, as appropriate, substitute alternatives for low/no use journals
- Cancel content no longer relevant to the curriculum
- Promote current journal article content via aggregator databases
- Employ JSTOR and/or other historical coverage databases as the preferred option for historical coverage of journals
- Use cost savings to enhance database offerings and off-set flat budgets and reductions.
- The journal review rotation cycle for subject disciplines is as follows:
- Biology/Chemistry, Fine Arts, Public Affairs, Sociology
- General/Circulating Magazines, Interdisciplinary, Library
- CMP, Education, English, History, Environmental Studies
- Business, Foreign Language, Health/Human Performance, Psychology, Religion.
Withdrawn materials may be offered to campus community members for their personal use and/or otherwise disposed of as the library deems appropriate.
