Nurturing the Garden of Knowledge: Weeding the Collection
Culling, deselection, weeding – however it is referred to, it is clear that this is an incredibly important but also exceptionally challenging aspect of collection management.
Whilst the term ‘weeding’ may sound like this is a thoughtless or incautious endeavour, the process of “regularly removing outdated or irrelevant library resources” is undertaken by following a policy developed to suit the Library’s specific context and needs, much like a selection policy is utilised in the acquisition of new resources (National Library of New Zealand, n.d.). Just as weeding in the gardening sense allows room for plants to better access the resources they need to grow, so too does weeding a collection allow for better access to resources and room to maintain the quality of the collection.
The primary goal of weeding is to create space for new materials to ensure the collection keeps pace with the changing needs of the school community. This process also allows the Teacher Librarian to periodically assess the collection to ensure that is is relevant and reflects curriculum changes. As a faculty Head Teacher of History, the challenge of weighing current school resources with budgetary and space constraints to make decisions about which materials should be retained and what should be removed is one I am very familiar with, albeit on a much smaller scale. With NESA’s curriculum reforms on the horizon, this is a very timely concern for all teaching staff.
The National Library of New Zealand has developed an excellent flow chart infographic (see above) that outlines some key questions to be considered when assessing the collection to decide which materials are to be discarded. These generic questions are a great starting point for the development of guidelines and a deselection criteria that takes into account the specific teaching and learning needs of the school community. I believe that the process of weeding a collection must be collaborative. As outlined in the National Library of New Zealand’s video, this is a great chance to open lines of communication throughout the school community and seek input from both students and teachers.
Resources
National Library of New Zealand Services to Schools, . (n.d.). Weeding your school library collection. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/collections-and-resources/weeding-your-school-library-collection#:~:text=Weeding%20is%20the%20process%20of,relevant%20to%20your%20school%20community.
National Library of New Zealand Services to Schools, . (n.d.). Weeding your school library collection – Weeding Flowchart. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/collections-and-resources/weeding-your-school-library-collection#:~:text=Weeding%20is%20the%20process%20of,relevant%20to%20your%20school%20community.
NationalLibraryNZ. (2014, March 30). Weeding your School Library [Video file]. https://youtu.be/IkNd9gEm-9g