When I first walked into our library this year, I felt proud of its size; over 20,000 items sounded impressive. But as I dug deeper, I realised something: a big collection isn’t always a good collection. I had inherited a HUGE collection (over 28k books) in 2023 and it had taken me a year and a half of painstakingly slow weeding to reduce it by 5000, just so it would fit on the shelves. These decisions took forever as I did not yet have the confidence and knowledge to know which books were worthy of being on the shelves. Many shelves were crowded with books that hadn’t been touched in years, and worse, some were over 20 years old with outdated facts. That’s not what our students deserve.
This year, I rolled up my sleeves (even further) and started weeding. Another 2,550 books gone. 1,200 new ones purchased. It wasn’t easy as there’s an emotional pull to keeping “just in case” books and I was so worried that a teacher would walk in and request a favourite resource that I had just weeded! It took me a couple of years, but so far, the results have been transformative.
Why Weeding Matters
- The space feels brighter and more inviting. Students notice it.
- Shelves are easier to navigate. No more hunting through clutter.
- Stocktake will be a breeze. And yes, that makes me very happy!
- Most importantly, our collection is healthier and more relevant.
- Students are now independent in their book selections and information seeking.
What Do the Guidelines Say?
Australian standards back this up. The ALIA/VCTL Manual recommends a foundation collection of 8,000–11,000 items for a school our size (550 students). We were sitting at nearly double that. Bigger isn’t better—better is better.
Weeding guidelines from Libraries Tasmania suggest:
- Remove books that are outdated, misleading, damaged, or irrelevant.
- Use age-based checks:
- Computers, Technology, Medicine: review after 5 years.
- Science & Social Sciences: review after 5–10 years.
- Geography & History: review after 10 years, especially if maps or data are wrong.
- General Non-fiction: consider removal after 10–15 years if unused or inaccurate.
These principles guided my decisions this term. It wasn’t random—it was professional practice.
Linking Learning to Action
As part of my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship), I’ve studied collection management theory. This year, I put that theory into practice. Weeding isn’t just about making space, it’s about making the library a living, breathing resource that supports learning today, not yesterday.
What’s Next?
In 2026, my goal is to continue to make our collection as relevant, appealing and fresh as possible, and that will mean strategic weeding and purchasing. I plan to map our collection to the Australian Curriculum and fill gaps with contemporary, diverse resources. I want every book on our shelves to earn its place by helping students learn, wonder, and grow.
Because in a school library, quality always wins over quantity.
References
- Australian Library and Information Association. (2017). Manual for Developing Policies and Procedures in Australian School Library Resource Centres. Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/manual-developing-policies-and-procedures-australian-school-library-resource-centres-2nd-edition
- Libraries Tasmania. (n.d.). Lending collection development guidelines. Libraries Tasmania. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-governance/policies/lending-collection-development-guideline/purpose/#articleBody