The sheer scope of the 600s is what makes it so daunting. You’ll approach the medical books in a much different way than the cookbooks. Parenting books go in and out of style like you wouldn’t believe, and how about those trusty (ahem, dusty) car-care books? And you will note that in several places throughout the 600s, there are very similar books in other Dewey areas. For a small library, it may make sense to combine those items and reclassify as needed.
The key here is to take each section piecemeal rather than worrying about them as a coherent group. It may even be best to break the task up among colleagues, if possible.
Snap on your latex gloves, and get ready for surgery—it’s about to get bloody. Be ruthless in weeding your health and medicine books. Leaving outdated information on your shelves in these areas is irresponsible (not to mention dangerous). Don’t fall into the trap of “But if I don’t leave this, we’ll have nothing on this topic!”—that doesn’t fly in the medical section. You do have access to the Internet, yes? And a knowledgeable librarian to guide patrons to appropriate medical information? You’re looking at a one- to three-year copyright range for these books. Regularly weed books on rapidly changing and high-interest topics, such as AIDS, cancer, fertility, and pregnancy.
Books that focus on disabilities or major illnesses need to be scrutinized for outdated terminology and treatment options. As mentioned in other sections, this is the time to check against what you also have floating around in other areas of the collection. Titles by cancer survivors are often found in 362 as well as 616 (and possibly in with your biographies)—is that really helpful for your readers?
When it comes to classic titles in this section, most libraries need keep only the current year of Physician’s Desk Reference and other drug directories, replacing with new editions as available. Reference works such as Gray’s Anatomy should also be the most current edition, sending the previous edition to your circulating collection.
Unless you are a special library, you likely do not have much in your 620s. If you have basic books on engineering, construction materials, or the like, weed based on usage and condition. You may also want to consider placing items in other areas of the collection for higher visibility, if possible. (Some engineering titles can also fit in 720 with your architecture books.) It may be helpful to weed your 620s and 690s at the same time to eliminate crossover books and reclassify some titles for ease of access.
This is also the area where you may have too much shelf space devoted to car-care books. So many libraries that I’ve helped weed have ditched those multiple shelves of car manuals, and no one complained. It is hard. Many years were spent acquiring those collections—and many dollars, as well. But unless people are actually using them, it’s time for them to go. Replace with one of the car-care databases that are now available. Not only are they less expensive than the print materials but they are likely to get more use—it’s easier to take printouts to your garage than to lug one of those diagnostic manuals, which are really meant for professionals anyway. I hereby grant you permission to discard your old Chilton manuals if they are not in use (and I’m betting that they are not).
If your library serves patrons in the farming or agriculture industry, keep specialty materials up-to-date with an eye on the newest techniques. If your patrons are more garden-variety (pun intended), then circulation is the main weeding criteria for this area. General gardening information does not age, but the materials themselves do, so keep an eye on worn and unattractive gardening books. No black-and-white illustrations here, please. Books that focus on organic gardening or the use of pesticides and chemicals should be reviewed for currency of information after three to five years.
When it comes to pet books, materials on various breeds don’t go out of date, but your collection should reflect breeds that are of interest to your community, and the material should be attractive. Veterinary medicine and animal care are topics that do change, so keep those books no longer than a seven- to ten-year copyright span.
If hunting is popular in your area, use circulation records to weed out items that are no longer of interest and focus on what is popular for replenishment.
This section can create hoarding issues for even the most passionate weeder. Who doesn’t love a gloriously illustrated cookbook, even if all you can manage is a pot of spaghetti? Here is where your circulation reports will come in handy, giving you reasons to weed.
When it comes to looking for recipes, do your patrons actually use these books, or have they moved on to using the Internet for their recipe gathering (hello, Pinterest)? If your library is pressed for space, weed cookbooks that haven’t circulated in the past two years. That may seem harsh, but the reality is that people no longer need a vast collection of cookbooks on hand to look up a recipe. Weed out books by celebrity chefs or that are based on popular diets once their popularity has waned. Replace classic cookbooks, such as The Betty Crocker Cookbook or the America’s Test Kitchen series, with new editions when available. Larger collections can get away with keeping more unused titles on the shelf, as space allows, weeding with an eye toward three to four years last circulation date rather than two.
When it comes to sewing, weed books with outdated styles and illustrations. Same with home furnishings, and it bears noting that you may have the same type of books both here, at 645, and at 747.
On the surface, parenting books may seem to go out of style, but that’s not the case. Although there are always trends and new theories, and parents insist on having the latest information, there are also classics, such as books from La Leche League and Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care—and it’s inexpensive to replace these with new editions as available. (Side note: I had a librarian tell me once that she didn’t need to weed a 1987 edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding because “you stick the baby on the boob and that’s that! Who even needs a book about it?”).
This is another area where you may be tempted to keep basic books, but the reality is that your patrons will likely only want the latest advice and trends. Look at a five-year weeding cycle for these books. Books on résumés, job searches, and careers should be more in the three- to five-year range. Classics in the field can be kept longer based on condition. Larger collections can keep basic books, if patron demand warrants and space is not an issue.
Think about what you are collecting in this section. Do you have repair manuals for appliances? If so, are they actually used by your patrons? It’s possible that some resources may contain information of historical value, but in the case of repair manuals, is that really very likely? Also, keep an eye out for older books on technology that may reside in this section.
Keep materials current in this section, as codes and trends change often. As noted previously, it may be helpful to look at your 620s and 690s at the same time to weed out crossover books and reclassify some titles for ease of use; there are also architecture crossovers between the 690s and 720s.