Collection Review Criteria

Library Collection Review: Policy Statement
COLLECTION REVIEW COMMITTEE - Forrest R. Polk Library

Polk Library’s collections will be reviewed on a regular basis, with the goal of keeping the library’s collections current, useful, and manageable. De-selection, or weeding, is essential for quality control of the library collections, so that outdated, inaccurate, and worn-out materials are removed. Deselection of outdated, inaccurate and worn-out materials is also important so that Polk Library can make the best utilization of limited space for the current and future growth of collections. Since deselecting material from library collections is costly and often involves the destruction of materials, all deselection of materials will be done carefully using the general criteria listed below.

GENERAL REVIEW CRITERIA

1. Condition. Materials which cannot be repaired or rebound, or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the value of the information, will be withdrawn.
2. Continuing value. To be retained, the information contained in the item should be of continuing value. When the information is considered to be ephemeral or outdated, the item should be withdrawn. Value may also be ascertained from the title’s inclusion in a standard bibliography, such as Books For College Libraries.
3. Meet the needs of UW Oshkosh students and faculty. If a title is considered to no longer be of value to our users, or relevant to their needs, it should be withdrawn. Whenever appropriate, faculty members or departments most directly concerned with the possible future use of the materials will be invited to have input regarding the weeding process to assure that materials of significant historical or research interest, needed by students and faculty, are not inadvertently removed from the collections.
4. Duplication. If the information contained in an item is readily available elsewhere, including from online sources, the item should be withdrawn. Duplicate print copies of a title should also be deselected, except in cases of continued high demand, or where the library holds rare copies.
5. Use. Use statistics will be obtained as needed, and these may be a factor in a decision on deselecting any title. Decisions should not be based on use alone, as these figures must be viewed with caution due to different online systems’ methods of counting use.
6. Serials or sets. If the title is part of a set, or a serial, the reviewers should ascertain whether: a) the set is complete; b) the title is ongoing. If the title in question is an incomplete set, and not pending completion, it should probably be withdrawn. If the title is a serial, a holdings statement may already exist which indicates the disposition of older volumes.
7. Format. To be retained, the item in question should be in a format which remains useful. If the item requires a mechanical reader, it will have little use if the library does not own a reader.
   If the item’s format is ephemeral, inclined to deteriorate, or otherwise unlikely to be of continuing value, the item should be deselected.
8. Multiple editions. In most cases, previous editions should be withdrawn. Except where demand is high, only 1-2 editions of a title need be retained. Other non-current editions may be retained if they have significant historical or research value or contain material not included in later editions.
9. Subject, or discipline. Timeliness of information is of great value in some fields, such as health sciences, technology, and business. Older materials must be routinely removed so that outdated or inaccurate information is eliminated. In some disciplines, such as literature, area history, or biography, older materials may retain their value for indefinite periods, and weeding will be conducted with caution in these areas.
10. Other libraries’ holdings. A title which otherwise might qualify for deselecting, may be retained if the item appears to be unique to Polk Library’s collection.
11. Short runs of serials. Incomplete and short runs of a periodical or serial title may be withdrawn, particularly when the title is not received currently.
12. Lack of Space. Lack of shelving space in a certain area of shelving may influence what parts of the collections need review. It will not determine what specific titles are de-selected.
13. Storage. Criteria for selecting materials for storage are similar to those for de-selection. An item may be a candidate for storage if little use of it is predicted in the future, but it has some potential future value for students and faculty. Since storage space is limited, materials housed in storage will be evaluated periodically to determine if they should be de-selected instead of stored.

DECISION TO WITHDRAW

In routine cases (single volumes, small sets, etc.), the Collection Development Officer will make the final decision to withdraw an item, in consultation with the librarian who acts as subject specialist (liaison to the department in the affected subject area). Where appropriate, the titles will be checked against a standard bibliography such as Books For College Libraries. In the case of large sets or other exceptional items proposed for withdrawal, the Collection Development Officer will discuss the treatment of the item with the Collection Development Committee and the Library Director.

DISPOSAL OF WITHDRAWN ITEMS

The Collection Development Officer and the appropriate subject librarian(s) will select one of the following categories for each withdrawn item:

1. The item is not anticipated to have continuing value, due to age or condition. These items will be recycled or destroyed.
2. Possible sale items: These may include fiction duplicates or relatively recent withdrawals in good condition, gift materials in good condition which are not added to the collection; duplicate faculty publications; EMC children’s books or other media in usable condition.
3. Items to be offered to other UW campuses: These may include withdrawn periodicals, duplicate faculty publications, and EMC curriculum-type materials in good condition.
4. Items to be offered to other departments on campus: These are items or sets of specialized interest which may have continuing value to, or were frequently used by, specific UW Oshkosh departments.

Items may fall into more than one category; for instance, a very specialized set could be offered first to a campus department, then to other UW campuses, and finally for sale if not previously claimed. When questions arise on specific items, or when items/sets are specialized or unusual in some way, the Collection Development Officer and subject librarian may consult with the Library Coordinating Council or Collection Development Committee.