Earlham Libraries Policies: Deselection

Materials deselection (also known as "weeding") is an important part of collection development, helping to ensure that library resources stay evergreen and meet the information needs of the College and Seminaries' students, faculty, and staff. The deselection process is consultative, usually involving librarians and faculty. However, the Earlham Libraries may deselect materials at its own professional discretion and based on collective librarian input.

It is in everyone's best interest for the Earlham Libraries to notify relevant academic units that a deselection project is underway involving particular area(s) of the collection.

Criteria inform all deselection decisions. These criteria are used in combination and no single criterion has priority over the others.

• (1) Item has not circulated in past ten years.
• (2) Item is in poor physical condition -- (Answer question: Should item be rebound or replaced?).
• (3) Item appears to be out of date.
• (4) The Libraries have newer edition(s).
• (5) Collection contains a number of more recent books on the same subject.
• (6) Author/creator is not recognized as a "major star" in the field.
• (7) Item is not relevant to the curriculum, not likely to be used for course research.

Items pulled from the shelves are moved to a temporary holding area for additional review by librarians and faculty prior to deselection. Once the review process has occurred, deselected items may be recycled, donated, sold, or otherwise handled at the discretion of the Earlham Libraries.