Managing Print-Based Weeding Projects in Academic Libraries

Authors

  • Hilary Barbara Lynd SIM, Dalhousie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5931/djim.v11i0.5516

Keywords:

Collections, Information Resources, Weeding, Deselection, Collection Development, Public Relations, Workflows

Abstract

“Weeding” is the process of removing information resources from a collection. As a public relations quagmire, it is one of the most challenging tasks an information manager may face. With the rise of election resources, print-based weeding projects are on the rise. It is integral that information managers have the necessary skills to carry out this endeavor. This paper examines the best practices for managing a print-based weeding project in an academic library, based on recent literature and the author‘s work experience. A set of recommendations for choosing material to remove, developing workflows, managing public relations and finding solutions for discarded material are put forward.  

Author Biography

Hilary Barbara Lynd, SIM, Dalhousie

Hilary is a forward-thinking Information Management (IM) professional, with boundary-spanning skill sets that blend the library field and information technology needs of tomorrow. Hilary earned her BA Hons in History and English at the University in Toronto. She then went on to pursue a Master‘s of European History at the University College London. As a current Master of Library and Information Studies candidate and an employee of Dalhousie Libraries, Hilary looks to take the best IM practices from the past, and apply them to build a better future using cutting-edge IM techniques. This paper was originally written for INFO 6560: Information Resources Management.

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Published

2015-04-07

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