Withdrawal (Weeding) of Library Materials

To keep the collection current and attractive and to make space for more valuable items, books and other materials will be regularly discarded when they are worn, outdated or of no interest to the communities served. In general, the same criteria apply to weeding as are used in the selection of new materials.

Criteria for weeding

• Useage / Circulation. An item which has not circulated in the previous four years will be a serious candidate for weeding, although the item's relationship to the total collection will be considered.
• Accuracy of information. Outdated non-fiction will be weeded.
• Condition of materials. Worn or badly marked items will be weeded. Certain material will be replaced.
• Duplicate copies of seldom used titles will be weeded.

Disposal of weeded materials

Withdrawal of Palliser Library materials must be previewed by an authorized regional library staff member to realize the best possible materials. Materials to be discarded may be given to other organizations, sold, exchanged or recycled. All last copies of adult fiction will be offered to the Provincial Library for inclusion in the Last Copy Fiction Collection. Sales of withdrawn library materials are a joint responsibility arranged between headquarters staff and the local library board(s). All income over costs shall be reinvested in library materials.