When I first encountered the concept of “weeding” a library collection, I must admit, I felt hesitant. Removing books from the library seemed counterintuitive, I always thought to myself shouldn’t we be adding resources rather than taking them away? My previous weeding endeavours were mainly based around if the book had dust on it and if it had an old school library card in the back of it. Now however, after reading The Weeding Handbook by Rebecca Vnuk (2015) and viewing the National Library of New Zealand’s insightful video, I will now be changing the methods in the way I weed.
It is now apparent to me that weeding is not about carelessly discarding books but about creating a purposeful and engaging collection that thoughtfully serves the school community. My new understanding of the process ensures that my library remains a vibrant space that aligns with the curriculum, caters to students’ diverse needs and reflects the values of the Yamba Public School community. I now understand that outdated, irrelevant or damaged resources can hinder students’ learning experiences, and it’s our responsibility as teacher librarians to provide resources that inspire, engage and educate.
A key takeaway from the Weeding Handbook I learnt was the importance of evaluating resources against set criteria, such as relevance to the curriculum, physical condition along with cultural accuracy.
I found the infographic that was provided to be very useful as it provided a simply reference point when weeding a collection. Questions like “Is the resource relevant to the community?” or “Is it engaging and visually appealing?” will now help guide my decisions. It is also a helpful tool for communicating the value of weeding to staff and parents who might initially view the process as wasteful. Explaining that it’s about maintaining a collection that serves our students, not just holding onto every book, is key to gaining their support.
This area of the subject has allowed me to appreciate that weeding is just as important as acquiring new resources. It’s not about diminishing the collection, but rather it’s about strengthening it. By using clear guidelines, involving the school community and embracing a forward-thinking approach, we can ensure that our library remains a place where students are excited to learn, explore and grow.
Weeding, once daunting, has now become a practice I will embrace with confidence, knowing it’s a crucial part of creating a library that is both functional and inspiring for our students.
References:
National Library of New Zealand Services to Schools. (n.d.). Weeding your school library collection.
Vnuk, R. (2015). The weeding handbook : A shelf-by-shelf guide. Chicago: ALA Editions.
NationalLibraryNZ. (2014, March 30). Weeding your School Library [Video file]. https://youtu.be/IkNd9gEm-9g
