How do I weed my collection?
What are the steps in the weeding process?
Answer
The Weeding Process - LEAP
For a comprehensive overview of weeding philosophy, details, and schedules, read our NLLS Weeding Guidelines and the Crew Weeding Manual.
Reports
Weeding reports can be generated using Power BI, SimplyReports, or the canned reports, with each method offering specific benefits and drawbacks based on your library’s needs, staffing, and reporting skills.
When selecting a reporting tool, consider how these options address patron usage patterns and non-fiction collections with outdated information:
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Non-fiction titles with outdated information (e.g., medical, legal, or technology content)
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Items never checked out
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Worn materials
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Items not checked out in three years
Non-Fiction Urgent Items Weeding Report
The Urgent Items Report identifies non-fiction items based on the schedules found in the Sample Weeding Schedule (Canadian) and the Crew Method Schedule, ensuring the appropriate Dewey numbers are weeded according to their age. All items included in these lists must be withdrawn, even if it eliminates the entire Dewey subject, as outdated knowledge in these areas is a risk to the community. Rebuild the collection over time, but do not hold onto these items.
Dead Items Weeding Report – Zero Lifetime Circulations
This report will identify items that have never been taken off the shelf. These items take up valuable shelf space, making ineffective use of space, resources, and staff time (inventorying unused items and capacity issues). The items on this list should all be withdrawn, as they have never been relevant to the community.
Grubby Items Weeding Report
Evaluate items in this report based on wear and tear. If an item is still presentable, then it does not necessarily have to be withdrawn. Items withdrawn using this list should be replaced with new copies, as these items are the basis of the library’s core collection, since they are the most used items.
Dead Items Weeding Report – Not Checked Out in Three Years
This report will generate the most results, identifying items that are no longer relevant for the community. Hit list items often appear in this report, unless they become culturally relevant titles. Changes in the community’s demographic makeup may affect this list due to groups either moving or aging. Depending on the library’s budget and shelving space issues, this report can be modified to five years rather than three years.
Reporting Options
Power BI
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Collection Maintenance Report How-To (video and write-up included – see Resources).
Highlights
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Automates most processes, meaning minimal manual work
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Easy to import in record sets
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Includes series information unavailable in other tools
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NLLS and CREW weeding schedules linked to collection items
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Moderate learning curve
Drawbacks
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Requires a subscription for each staff member (managers can export lists as a workaround)
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Some learning is required for filters and exporting lists.
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Filtering for the Urgent report is necessary and optional for the Not Checked Out in Three Years
Simply Reports
Highlights
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Highly customizable
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Can create record sets directly in Polaris/LEAP
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Reports parameters can be saved.
Drawbacks
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Steepest learning curve
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Customization can be overwhelming
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Creating reports is a manual process, and saved reports cannot create record sets (i.e. a new report must be created for each record set)
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Requires Excel skills for organizing results
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Urgent items require manual schedule lookups to set parameters
Canned Reports
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Dead Items Weeding Report – Zero Lifetime Circulations
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Select your library, then set minimum lifetime circulations to zero, maximum lifetime circulations to zero, and enter a date two-years prior to today’s date for the publication year:
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Grubby Items Weeding Report
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Select your library, then set minimum lifetime circulations to fifty, maximum lifetime circulations to one thousand, and enter today’s date for the publication year:
Highlights
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Easy to learn and use
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Offers basic criteria (never checked out or grubby items)
Drawbacks
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Limited scope, which misses many items.
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Broad publication date filters may remove useful materials
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Poor fit for non-fiction or “not checked out in three years” lists
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Difficult to import into record sets due to formatting
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Requires manual item scanning to create a record set.
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Reports are problematically simplistic and do not do a great job of identifying items to weed.
Point of Need – Circ Desk
Items that appear visibly worn during check-in should be reviewed for withdrawal on the spot. Follow the Individual Withdrawal steps below.
If an item is damaged, then follow the steps for damaged and lost items.
Record Sets
Record sets are essential to the weeding process.
Name record sets clearly: [Library Code] – [Purpose] – [Date].
Use Power BI imports or SimplyReports exports for the most efficient record set creation.
Withdrawing Items
Bulk Withdrawal
Use the bulk change process, see the detailed instructions here.
Individual Withdrawal
Following a bulk change, check for items missed in the process, and update the Circulation Status to “Withdrawn” in the item record:
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Open an item record, and navigate to Details
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Select Withdrawn from the drop-down menu
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Save the item record
Deleted Items
Deleted items must be undeleted before withdrawal (no bulk option available). Avoid deleting items, as this can cause broken links in TRACpac.
Open an item record:
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Click Actions > Undelete
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Save the item record.
Disposal
Finally, there are a few ways to dispose of the withdrawn items, depending on certain criteria:
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Book Sale
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Recycling
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