Part One: Needs Assessment
The school where I’m interning, Lake Silver Elementary, moved into a completely renovated campus at the beginning of the school year. Consequently, the collection was extensively weeded nearly nine months ago, leaving few items in the collection requiring removal. Following the parameters of the assignment, we (my cooperating librarian and I) were able to identify several items ready for weeding, but this exercise did not yield stacks and stacks of books ready to be removed from the collection.
We chose to examine the fiction picture book collection for several reasons. Primarily, these items are checked out by the younger users of the library, and tend to show signs of wear first. It is also an area that is continually added to, and the size of the library dictates the size of the collection-there are only so many books that will fit on the shelves, so only the highest quality books should be included in the collection. Additionally, it is the area of the collection that enjoys the highest circulation volume, followed closely by fiction chapter books and graphic novels.
Using the Destiny library management system, we looked at circulation statistics and copyright dates. Due to the previous weed, there were no glaringly obvious materials ready to be weeded (and my supervising librarian does not rely on this data to dictate the items to be weeded), but it was the first time I had explored that part of the library management system, and I’m glad to have the experience for future weeding projects. We did not use the information we located to make any decisions, but now I know how to access this information and apply it to my own collection.
Part Two: Weeding the Collection
My supervising librarian provided me her own weeding criteria, a set of guidelines that are dynamic and adaptable-simply put, she uses her best judgment to decide if an item no longer belongs in her collection. Her first consideration is always the physical condition of the book. If a book is damaged beyond repair, there’s a good chance it’s a popular item, so she will reorder the title. In considering the nonfiction titles, she will not reorder if she has several other books on the subject (for example, she weeded a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King that had spine damage, but chose not to reorder, as the collection had 5 other MLK biographies).
Another consideration is the binding of the book. My supervising librarian is actively trying to phase all paperback books out of the collection. This is difficult in the fiction chapter book area (and is a work in progress), but nearly complete in the picture book section. One of the books weeded out of the collection during this exercise was a softcover picture book in decent shape, but easily destroyed by young hands.
Using her innate circulation ‘records’, she will then consider the relevance of an item based on her recollection of the book’s rotation between the student body and the media center. While walking amongst the shelves for this assignment, she weeded several Bound to Stay Bound titles-the students perceive them as old and dated (frankly, some of them are), and they don’t check them out. These titles (classics, mostly) were in good shape, but they were using valuable shelf space, so they were removed from the collection.
The copyright date, while germane when considering nonfiction items, is not really a factor when weeding the fiction picture book section. However, we discussed the process of weeding the nonfiction titles, and reviewed the Orange County Public Schools policies for weeding. The district has very specific weeding guidelines, most of which are still pertinent in Lake Silver’s media center, although their collection does not contain certain named items, including audio cassettes, study prints, posters, maps, and globes. I have attached a copy of the district policy at the end of this assignment.
Once we surveyed the shelves and had identified those volumes to be weeded, I then deleted the books from the library management system, a surprisingly easy process. The books were then stripped of their bar codes, and set aside for the classroom teachers to pick through. Those books that are not appropriated by the teaching staff are then discarded.
Part Three: Selecting Items for the Collection
The solicitation of faculty and students with regard to the selection of resources has been ongoing since before I arrived at Lake Silver. My supervising librarian keeps a running wish list on her desktop PC (it was one of the first things she showed me). After consulting this list, I added to it during the Scholastic book fair, gathering information and suggestions from faculty and students (and a few parents).
Not surprisingly, many of the suggested titles were titles from popular series. There have been several instances during my time at the front desk where a student has asked for a volume in a series, only to be told that it wasn’t in the collection. Hopefully this assignment will illuminate the need to add these titles to the Lake Silver collection-we’ve got them reading and interested, let’s keep it going, you know?
Below is a ten-item wish list, containing seven fiction picture books, and three fiction chapter books. I’ve chosen the titles I feel should be purchased first, combining my list and the librarian’s running list. Together, the master list contains a total of 64 books, 14 of them teacher requests, and the remaining 50 those of the students/parents. I chose not to list them in APA style as it makes them harder to decipher. The prices listed are from Amazon.com (generally the best available price), and all books are either hardcover or in library binding. The reviews were located on Titlewave.com, and come from a number of trustworthy publications, such as School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher’s Weekly.
Picture Books:
How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan
Hardcover
Amazon price: $9.62 (5 stars)
School Library Journal review:
K-Gr 3-A boy’s tips for babysitting a grandpa include hiding when he arrives; fixing snacks such as “anything dipped in ketchup”; looking for “lizards, cool rocks, and dandelion puffs” on walks; and so on. The endpapers have eight childlike drawings of child-grandparent interactions, and the book opens with a digitally rendered cartoonlike illustration of a spindly legged man sporting tufts of gray hair and carrying a small purple duffel bag. The parents leave, and the boy assures his grandfather, “Don’t worry. They always come back,” and the fun begins. In preparation for outdoor activities, the child advises bundling grandpa from head to toe in winter and slathering sunscreen on his bald head in summer. For indoor activities, “have him read a looooooooooong book” several times, guaranteed to put him to sleep. Of course, the house becomes quite messy and a hurried cleanup is in order before Mom and Dad return. The humorous illustrations include a snoozing grandpa with a meowing cat atop his head to wake him up. Youngsters will recognize some of the sayings they’ve heard from their own grandparents and will thoroughly enjoy the tongue-in-cheek role reversal.
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems
Hardcover
Amazon price: $7.85 (5 stars)
Booklist review:
Preschool-Kindergarten. Knuffle Bunny returns, but this time he has a doppelganger. Trixie is off to school, and things are going well enough—until she notices that Sonja is holding her own Knuffle Bunny. Arrgh! The afternoon results in dueling bunnies, which are confiscated by the teacher. Happily, they are returned at the end of the day, but at 2:30 a.m. realization hits: the bunny Trixie is sleeping with is not her own. Despite parental protestations, phone calls are placed, bunnies are exchanged, and the girls, bonded during the trauma, become best friends. This has much of the charm of Knuffle Bunny (2004), a Caldecott Honor Book, but the premise is stretched here: the middle-of-the-night meeting is energetic, but it seems overplayed. As in the previous title, the slice-of-life artwork is smashing. Willem’s cartoon-style art, set against crisp black-and-white photos of New York City interiors and exteriors, catches every bit of the plentiful emotion. Keen-eyed kids will have fun keeping track of the Knuffle Bunny as he’s lost, then found again.
Max’s Words by Kate Banks
Hardcover
Amazon price: $13.62 (5 stars)
Library Media Connection review:
In a story of sibling rivalry and self-sufficiency, Kate Banks successfully portrays the feelings of children and their changeable natures. Each of Max’s brothers has his own collection of stamps or coins, which they refuse to share, so Max decides to collect words. Once they realize the dynamic nature of Max’s collection, they decide it is a good idea, and they want some words too. Max’s creativity sparks his brothers’ curiosity, and they all join the storytelling adventures. Boris Kulikov’s illustrations are somewhat subtle while being dynamic. With a closer look, one sees the detail of inset pictures in the shape of their collections. Karl is depicted in a circular picture with his coins. Benjamin is shown sorting stamps in a stamp-shaped picture. Max’s words are painted in shapes to convey their vibrant characteristics. Sure to be a repeat request due to the boys’ interactions, this will also be a winner with teachers for teaching writing and storytelling. With its seemingly simple story, this multifaceted title will get much use after it’s discovered.
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie DePaola
Hardcover
Amazon price: $15.00 (4.5 stars)
School Library Journal review:
A little boy must come to terms with being teased and ostracized because he’d rather read books, paint pictures, and tap-dance than participate in sports. There is a good balance between the simple text . . . and the expressive pictures . . . an attractive little book.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
Hardcover
Amazon price: $15.10 (4.5 stars)
Kirkus review:
When Sweet Clara, not yet 12, is taken from her mother and sent from North Farm to Home Plantation as a field hand, she’s put in the care of “Aunt Rachel,” not “my forreal blood aunt, but she did her best.” Fearing for Clara’s health, Rachel teaches her to sew and is lucky enough to get her a place in the Big House, where Clara listens, learns, and saves scraps that she eventually pieces into a map-quilt showing the way to the Ohio and freedom. The troubles Clara escapes are so muted here that her accomplishment seems almost too easy; in a straightforward narrative flavored with dialect, she mentions that recaptured slaves might be beaten and describes her grief at leaving her mother, but Ransome’s moving depiction of the hug when the two are reunited on the way north is a more poignant clue to the pain of their separation. What’s emphasized are Clara’s resolve and creativity and the accomplishment of winning her freedom; in the same vein, Ransome depicts the characters as sturdy, purposeful, and mutually supportive and sets them in colorful landscapes eloquently proclaiming the earth’s beauty. A well-told, handsomely illustrated story that effectively dramatizes young Clara’s perseverance and courage.
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Hardcover
Amazon price: $15.41 (4.5 stars)
Publisher’s Weekly review:
In this new book by Van Allsburg, twice a winner of the Caldecott Medal, the theme of an outsider’s point-of-view (touched upon most recently in his The Stranger ) is expanded. Accustomed to the orderly and uneventful life in the ant hole, all the ants enter the bizarre world of a kitchen in the search for sugar crystals for the queen. Two greedy ants stay behind in the sugar bowl, eating their fill and then falling asleep. Their slumbers end when a giant scoop drops them into a sea of boiling brown coffee. Further mishaps include a heated stay in the toaster, a hazardous swirl in the garbage disposal and a zap in an electrical outlet. When the ant troops return, the two bad ants gladly rejoin their friends and head for the safety of home. In this work, the hazards of nonconformity are clear. The narration has the feel of early newsreels where the broadcaster described unknown phenomena in clipped, clinical language: “A strange force passed through the wet ants. They were stunned senseless and blown out of the holes like bullets from a gun.” The resilient ants and the eerie landscapes are portrayed in strong black-and-white images, enriched by deep brown, purple, slate, gold and steely blue colors; Van Allsburg, playing with perspective, creates marvelous contrasts and images. But although Two Bad Ants is visually different from its predecessors, it shares the same strong style, dazzling artwork and whimsy that characterizes all of the artist’s work. Ages 3-8.
The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz
Library Binding
Amazon price: $15.00 (5 stars)
Kirkus review:
A club-shaped pumpkin gets dissed by a customer, all the other pumpkins, even twisted apple trees, before the sight of a motley crop of hubbards, acorns and banana squash brings on a personal epiphany: “O my gosh / I’m a squash.” Endowed with a face and stick limbs, the gnarled narrator sits down at a Thanksgiving table with its new soulmates, then is last seen strolling down the lane hand in hand with a lumpy new friend. Written in doggerel-“A skeleton came for pumpkins / one bright and crispy day. / I asked if I could get a ride . . . / He laughed and said: No Way”-and illustrated in brightly colored paint-and-paper collage, this weak riff on the “Ugly Duckling” may not earn high marks for botanical accuracy (all pumpkins are squash), but it does feature plenty of visual flash. (Picture book. 6-8)
Chapter Books:
Middle School: Get Me out of Here! By James Patterson
Hardcover
Amazon price: $10.73 (4.5 stars)
Booklist review:
Grades 4-7. In this sequel to Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life (2011), seventh-grader Rafe, his mom, and his sister move in with Grandma after Mom loses her job, thus ending Rafe’s opportunity to attend alternative arts school Airbrook Air. Luckily, a former teacher recommends him to a nearby public arts school, where he makes a friend and launches Operation: Get a Life—a tempered version of his sixth-grade plan, this one involving big-city adventures. After Rafe is set up for shoplifting (by his supposed friend) and bullied for his honesty, he runs away, resulting in a return to his old town, where Airbrook Air awaits. Short chapters and a partially graphic format are sure to appeal. Subplots involving Rafe’s missing father; adventures with his imaginary brother and muse, Leo; and Rafe’s emerging talent as an artist are also well handled, although they create a more subdued tone than in the previous book. Maturity is on Rafe’s horizon, but hopefully readers will be able to vicariously experience his eighth-grade adventures before it arrives.
Secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee
Hardcover
Amazon price: $13.59 (5 stars)
Kirkus review:
Happy-go-lucky Benji Barnsworth and his fellow underdogs pursue goofy adventures through Washington, D.C., in Lee’s feel-good sequel to Elvis and the Underdogs (2013). It’s been three months since Elvis, Benji’s talking service/therapy/emotional-support dog was returned to his original assignment: the president of the United States. Landing in the hospital yet again, Benji searches for videos of the curmudgeonly first dog and finds Elvis wagging an urgent message in Morse code, which Alexander Chang-Cohen, his “human computer” friend, naturally deciphers. Benji, along with Alexander and perky star athlete Taisy, must get to Washington (via convenient coincidences tailored to their character traits) and rescue Elvis from becoming a prime minister’s birthday present. It’s best to abandon disbelief as the “pack” wreaks havoc on the White House in a series of slapstick mishaps and miscommunications. The service-dog terminology remains careless, but Elvis’ elaborately denied jealousy of Benji’s new dog provides comic banter as well as relationship development–he gets in some great deadpan one-liners. Alexander and Taisy are nearly caricatures, but at least their extreme traits illustrate the book’s message: Friendship “requires a tolerance pact. You tolerate all my weirdo quirky things and I’ll tolerate yours.” The resolution is fluffy if implausible, with any loose ends tied in a bow–but then, the chronically, wackily unfortunate Benji deserves to have something go right. A light, warm and (very) fuzzy read.
The Artsy-Fartsy Auction by Lisa Mullarkey
Library Binding
Amazon price: $19.28 (no reviews)
School Library Journal review:
Gr 2-3-Katharine is excited when her homemade popcorn bowl is in the school’s art auction, but a misunderstanding with another third grader causes her to start a bidding war that turns the charity event into a competition fueled by greed. This book concentrates on the jealousy Katharine feels toward her classmate Vanessa (Miss Priss-a-Poo), but it also reveals her compassionate side by including a secondary story line involving her cousin, whose parents have recently divorced. Instructions for making a papier-mache popcorn bowl are included. In Ditch-a-Roo, someone is ringing Katharine’s doorbell and then disappearing. Her cousin Crockett tries to convince her it’s the Invisible Man but by using her detective skills she eliminates all the suspects except one: Vanessa. Katharine doesn’t unravel the mystery until she accidentally spills water on Vanessa’s science project. The “spark in the dark” experiment complements the information about electricity discussed in Katharine’s science class. Finally, Katharine does not have the “write stuff.” She received only a C on her essay about Slip-N-Slide World. If she wants to earn one of Mrs. Bingsley’s coveted pencils, she’ll need to practice writing interesting details, creative titles, and strong action words. These techniques work fine when she revises her schoolwork, but they get her in trouble when she uses them to rewrite a note from her teacher. This book contains great writing tips, but Katharine’s cutesy vocabulary (“hug-a-roonie,” “sassitude,” “rush-a-rooed”) can be exasperating at times. Divided into eight short chapters, the stories contain several black- and-white line drawings.
Also appearing on the master list were volumes of several series: Dork Diaries, Kingdom Keepers, Heroes of Olympus, Judy Moody, and the Percy Jackson series.
Part Four: Reflection
More than any other internship project so far, I found this exercise to be the most useful, as well as the most enlightening. It addressed an area of librarianship that I have had very little exposure to, save for the final weeding project for LIS5512, which was very limited in scope. The disposal of books, even those in rough shape, is a difficult concept for me to wrap my head around. Not only does it seem wasteful, but disposing of a book deprives the possible future reader of its contents. I know it is a necessary evil, and I may even grow to enjoy it, but it has proven to be a bit troublesome so far.
Having said that, the (bordering on obsessive) side of me that demands organization absolutely loves having a collection of books that are in good shape, clean and intact. No ripped pages, dirty smudges, or worn spines. Technology books that are contemporary and relevant. Accurate material that supports the school curriculum. The only way to assure that a collection contains materials of this type of is to constantly review and weed the collection, not to wait until the end-of-the-year inventory to decide what stays and what goes. Certainly that is the most valuable concept I’ve taken away from this assignment (and there were many): a good librarian maintains a relevant collection by continuous and consistent review of its contents.
Orange County Public Schools Weeding Policy
One of the underlying principals of planned collection development is the evaluation and removal of material in the existing collection that no longer is current or meets the needs of the curriculum. Weeding ensures that the collection contains only those resource materials, which are accurate, current and relevant to the curricular and recreational programs at each school.
Considerations for removal
Worn and damaged titles
Books with yellow, brittle or dirty paper; mutilated or missing pages; irreparably damaged binding or dingy, dirty covers.
Worn and damaged audio and video cassettes.
Bent, torn or damaged study prints or posters.
Superseded editions
Superseded editions of current volumes such as almanacs may be retained for teaching purposes but does not appear on the shelf with the current issue.
Duplicates
Non-circulating duplicates should be discarded.
Material containing information not easily accessible
No table of contents
No index
Poorly organized content
Back issues of periodicals
Material that contains outdated, inaccurate factual content, outdated interpretations, values and/or attitudes.
Material which is no longer in demand, or which no longer supports the curriculum.
Material that is condescending, stereotyped, patronizing or biased.
Material which has not circulated in 3 to 5 years.
Specific Weeding Guidelines
000 Value determined by use. Works on technology, computers dated after 3 years. Bibliographies seldom of use after 5 years from copyright date.
100 Ethics – value determined by use. Most unscholarly works outdated after 10 years. Remove materials of philosophical and psychological problems no longer of interest.
200 Religion – value determined by use. Collection should contain basic information (but not propaganda) representing a balance of sects and religions.
300 Social Sciences – discard those not of historical value. Controversial issues should be well represented from all sides.
Political Science and Economics – Information dates quickly. Weed after 10 years if not replaced sooner.
Education and Commerce – Weed after 10 years except for historical material.
Career materials – discard after 5 years. Be aware of changes in dealing with career preparation.
Customs and Folklore – Keep standard work; weed according to use.
400 Language – Discard old grammars; weed according to use.
500 Pure Science – Examine anything over 5 years old, except for botany and natural history. Discard materials with obsolete information and theories.
600 Technology (Applied Science) – Most material outdated after 5 years. Pay special attention to drugs, space technology, sex education, radio, television, medicine. Only keep materials containing information of historical value.
700 The Arts – Keep basic works in music and art. Replace with new editions and works with better illustrations. Keep stamp and coin catalogues up-to-date. Discard and replace sports and recreational material as interests change.
800 Literature – Keep literary criticism and history until superseded by more authoritative work. Keep works by local people. Keep titles indexed in standard reference indexes.
900 History – Depends on use, demand, accuracy of fact and fairness of interpretation. Weed superseded histories.
Travel – Weed after 3 years unless of historical value.
Biography – Unless subject has permanent interest or importance, discard when interest wanes.
Fiction & Story Collection – Weed old-fashioned, dated titles which have not circulated in 3-5 years. Classics may be replaced as new, more attractive editions are available. Keep titles indexed in standard reference works.
Reference – Requires special attention. Use same criteria as for general non-fiction. Keep standard works. Special attention is paid to keeping this collection up-to-date and accurate.
Encyclopedias – General – Dated after 5 years. Consider replacing every 3-5 years.
Encyclopedias – Subject Specific – Replace as content becomes invalid/outdated.
Almanacs & Annual Supplements – Superseded by each new volume. Keep older editions if used for teaching purposes. Keep selected older items for historical purposes.
Atlases – Dated after 5 years.
Periodicals – Discard after 2 years.
Newspapers – Discard after one week. Keep indexed titles no more than two years. Consider subscription to an online service.
Maps and Globes – Check currency, accuracy and metrication. Replace when out-of-date.
Professional Library – Most material is outdated in 5-8 years. Weed items which no longer support the curriculum. Keep professional books that provide seatwork activities, learning centers and/or bulletin boards. Textbooks from college courses taken by teachers should not be accepted or retained.
Textbooks, Teacher’s Manuals and Workbooks – Keep only single cataloged copies of relevant textbooks. Week outdated teacher manuals. No consumable workbooks shall be housed in the media center. Copies of current textbooks used in classroom may be kept and circulated to students.
Audio-Visual Material – Consider currency of topic and presentation. Consider color, sound and other technical qualities. Discard irreparable items and replace superseded items when needed.
Audio-Visual Equipment – Each piece of equipment should be inspected individually for either replacement or repair according to the following guidelines:
- Number of times the item has been out for repair.
- Maintenance reports
- Teacher reports
- Cost of repair meets the cost of replacement.
Items not to discard
(1) Classics, award winners and materials which appear on standard, core bibliographies.
(2) Items which are out-of-print but may still have some possible use.
(3) Materials of local interest, local histories.
(4) Material unique in content, format, illustrative technique, etc.
(5) Any resource, the absence of which may skew the balance of the collection and may result in biased representation.
(6) Expensive items.
Procedures
Weed continuously as materials are shelved. The clerk and/or student assistants should set aside possible repairs, discards for the media specialist’s attention.
Weed intermittently throughout the school year as specified in long range planning.
Weeding is done by the media specialist and a record is kept of the areas which have been weeded and date of the weeding.
Periodically the teaching staff will assist the media specialist in evaluating and weeding the entire collection and all types of resources.
The media specialist makes the final decisions regarding discards.
Replacement of Materials
The following criteria will be considered before replacing materials that are withdrawn because of loss, damage or wear:
Number of duplicate copies.
Existence of adequate coverage of the field.
Similar material in the collection, especially more current and/or better material.
Demand for the particular title or subject.
Elizabeth A. Olson 