Weeding Your Library Collection Without the Stress – Every library needs to weed its collection, but deciding what stays and what goes can be daunting. This guide offers practical tips—like using reports, setting policies, and handling patron concerns—to make the process easier and more effective.

Every library has to weed. There is only a finite amount of shelf space and we can’t hold on to every copy of Twilight we’ve ever purchased. So the question becomes how do we decide what stays and what goes? Sometimes, the answer is easy- let’s say a book advertising the brand new movie Gremlins still graces your shelves- it might be time to say goodbye. Not every title can be that easy, though. So here are some tips for how to weed a collection without feeling like you’re going to mess up or create an arduous task for yourself.

Popularity comes and goes, and there comes a time when multiple copies of a title are no longer necessary. The Fault in Our Stars is no longer the most popular teen book on the shelves, so you probably don’t need three copies anymore. If you find weeding to be overwhelming, this would be a great place to start.  

Run a report! If your library doesn’t have a weeding policy, these reports might be a helpful way to write one. Pick a hard stop for when books will be automatically removed from the collection. Is it five years with no checkouts? Two? The report will tell you not only what titles are checking out but also the types of titles. These reports are your best friend and can make weeding a breeze. There will always be exceptions to the rule, though. Is every department treated the same? You may be more lenient for nonfiction checkouts than manga. Do you keep every book that won a Pulitzer? All the Newbery winners? Keep that in mind when going through the report and creating a policy.

When it comes to nonfiction, don’t let your collection be considered old. An ILS report can tell you the age of your collection, and you don’t want your nonfiction collection to be out of date. Your policy should specify if you want your collection to stay five, ten, or however many years old. Weeding by publication date is sometimes helpful- for instance, you’ll probably want to remove books referring to Pluto as the ninth planet.

Your biggest dilemma may come from what to tell patrons about the books that are removed from the system. You may have to explain that while you’d love to keep every book, it’s simply not feasible, and the only way to bring in new titles is to discard those that no longer circulate. It won’t appease everyone, but it’s the truth. A book sale may help make people more accepting of the change and give them something to look forward to.

When it comes to weeding, having a plan and getting started is half the battle. Once parameters have been set, weeding should be easy. Just think, after all that hard work you won’t have to think about it again for another three to five years!

Written by Erica Testani (Youth Services Librarian), Marketing & Communications Co-Chair.
Edited and approved by the Marketing & Communications Committee.