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Less Is More
A Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections
Donna J. Baumbach
American Library Association, 2006

front cover of Rightsizing the Academic Library Collection
Rightsizing the Academic Library Collection
Suzanne M. Ward and Mary E. Miller
American Library Association, 2021

Honored with many accolades, including a starred review in Library Journal, the first edition of this book demonstrated the power and flexibility of “rightsizing,” an approach that applies a scalable, rule-based strategy to help academic libraries balance stewardship of spaces and the collection. In the five years since Ward’s first edition, the shared print infrastructure has grown in leaps and bounds, as has coordination among programs. With this revision, Miller addresses new options as well as the increasing urgency to protect at-risk titles as you reduce your physical collection. Readers will feel confident rightsizing their institution’s own collections with this book’s expert guidance on

  • the concept of rightsizing, a strategic and largely automated approach that uses continuous assessment to identify the no- and low-use materials in the collection, and its five core elements;
  • crafting a rightsizing plan, from developing withdrawal criteria and creating discard lists to managing workflow and disposing of withdrawn materials, using a project-management focus; 
  • moving toward a “facilitated collection” with a mix of local, external, and collaborative services;
  • six discussion areas for decisions on participating in a shared print program;
  • factors in choosing a collection decision support tool;
  • relationships with stakeholders;
  • how to handle print resources after your library licenses perpetual access rights to the electronic equivalent; and
  • future directions for rightsizing 
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front cover of Rightsizing the Academic Library Collection
Rightsizing the Academic Library Collection
Suzanne M. Ward
American Library Association, 2014

front cover of The Weeding Handbook
The Weeding Handbook
A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide
Rebecca Vnuk
American Library Association, 2022
Filled with field-tested strategies and adaptable collection development policies, this updated handbook will enable libraries to bloom by maintaining a collection that users actually use.

"Manages to be a thorough and informative source on weeding library collections and yet also an easy, engaging read ... Recommended." That rave review from Technicalities sums up the acclaim and appeal of this bestselling resource’s first edition. Now Vnuk has revised and updated her text to keep pace with libraries’ longer-term shifts in collection development and access, such as a growing emphasis on digital collections and managing duplicate physical materials. She demonstrates how weeding helps a library thrive by focusing its resources on those parts of the collection that are the most useful to its users. Walking collections staff through the proverbial stacks shelf by shelf, this book

  • includes a new “Tales from the Front” feature, providing real-life case studies of librarians working on weeding projects;
  • explains why weeding is important for a healthy library and how it can positively affect library budgets;
  • systematically walks readers through a library's shelves, with recommended weeding criteria and call-outs in each area for the different considerations of large collections and smaller collections;
  • offers easily adaptable, updated sample development plans which reflect the latest thinking in collection development;
  • advises readers on weeding problematic materials, such as those that include racist themes and depictions;
  • presents updated and expanded guidance on special considerations for youth collections;
  • addresses reference, media, magazines and newspapers, e-books, and other special materials;
  • shares guidance for determining how to delegate responsibility for weeding, plus pointers for getting other staff members on board; and
  • gives advice for educating the community about the process, how to head off PR disasters, and what to do with weeded materials.
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The Weeding Handbook
A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide
Rebecca Vnuk
American Library Association, 2015


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