Even though they are separate collections, I think it makes sense to look at weeding the 800s and the Fiction collection together, because much of the advice translates to both collections. Weeding the 800s isn’t really that much of a challenge, mainly because the content of the books in this section tends to age well, and the materials are often in constant circulation to students. It becomes a personal point, however, because many librarians cry “Sacred!” when they think of literature. Based on your shelf space, you may be able to keep classic items longer. However, there are some specific sections to pay extra attention to.
In general, use the same guidelines that you would in any section: if it’s tattered or hasn’t circulated well, it’s time to go. But what does “circulated well” mean in the 800s? This is where it’s important to know the needs of your patrons. Students always need to reference literary criticism of the classics, so if something hasn’t gone out in two to three years, find out why. Is that author no longer assigned? Are there newer, more interesting works on the author? Are teachers requiring a specific cutoff of copyright dates? I once helped a student gather all of our library’s literary criticism on George Orwell, only to be told that she couldn’t use most of our books because the teacher wanted citations no older than 2000. That was definitely one of those cases where the idea “oh, this particular material doesn’t age” became a liability for the library. Make the effort to contact your local schools and community colleges for reading lists.
And much like the Chilton car manuals in the 600s—I give you permission to weed your set of Best American Short Stories if they do not circulate well. You’ll be fine keeping only the last five years’ worth.
Unless your library has a mandate to collect poetry or plays, most items should be weeded after five or six years of no circulation. Inspect your single-copy plays for damage such as highlighting or margin notes. Replace poetry anthologies with new editions—The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, for example, was updated in 2013.
This is an area that tends to be trendy. Do you still have books by Jerry Seinfeld or Paul Reiser on the shelf? Have they been checked out recently?
Most small- to medium-sized libraries will be fine with keeping only one edition of the “complete works” while also collecting current paperback editions of the most popular plays. (Check with local schools to see what appears on reading lists.) Never underestimate the power of an attractive, fresh copy.
Weeding the fiction collection usually gives even the most hardhearted librarian pause. After all, we’re supposed to be the guardians of books, the keepers of the fiction flame, and that novel from the 1980s that hasn’t gone out in fifteen years is surely someone’s favorite book! Even though I’m a ruthless weeder, I’ll admit that I’m thrilled that WorldCat shows me almost 500 libraries still own a copy of my favorite glitz-and-glamour novel from the 1990s, Beverly S. Martin’s Juffie Kane.
It’s very difficult to remain objective when it comes to fiction. What works stay depends on your shelf space, your readership, and the overall size of your collection, so there are a lot of variables. Naturally, you’ll want to refer to your library’s collection-development policy and mission as reminders and keep your community’s demographics and interests in mind.
Some people find weeding fiction very easy, since they can just make their case off from circulation records or visible condition. Others find it incredibly difficult because there is not a set of stringent guidelines for fiction, as there are for nonfiction. So why can’t we just keep our fiction, since it doesn’t really “expire” the way that some nonfiction does?
Merle Jacob, former head of Collection Development for Chicago Public Library (and my weeding mentor), outlined the following important considerations for weeding fiction in her 2000 ALA program, “Weeding the Fiction Collection; or, Should I Dump Peyton Place?”1
Relevance: Weeding fiction that is no longer being read creates a collection that is a better reflection of the community’s needs and interests and encourages usage.
Currency: Weeding ensures that the authors and titles in the fiction collection are up to date and of interest to your patrons.
Appeal: Weeding worn and unattractive materials makes the collection physically appealing. Whether we like it or not, we live in a visual age. We compete with websites, television, movies, ads, and bookstores, so we need to look good.
Circulation: Weeding studies show that circulation increases after weeding because patrons can more easily browse less-crowded shelves.
Accessibility: Weeding makes it easier for patrons and library staff to find materials quickly.
These are general starting points, and different libraries will have different reasons for choosing a date range when it comes to pulling fiction off the shelves.
Use circulation records. As a starting point, if a fiction book has not circulated in the last three years, it should be considered a candidate for weeding. For some libraries, that time period may be shorter, depending upon the size of the collection. Other libraries may be able to stretch it out to five years, if space is not a consideration. A second set of numbers to look at, however, is the age of the book. Basic advice for fiction titles that are not considered classics or not written by a perennially popular author is to discard books that are older than ten years if circulation has waned.
Condition is the next point. Is the binding bad? Would you check this book out? (You can judge a book by its cover!) Condition is an easy place to start, but it’s not as simple as just tossing the ugly copies—if that’s your strategy, you will likely end up with some disgruntled patrons. Keep in mind that titles become worn out because people are reading them. On the flip side, if a book has been on the shelf for several years and is still in pristine condition, that tells you something, too. And never underestimate the power of replacements. Replacing a tattered or outdated-looking copy may boost circulation of that title—I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
So what do you do when you have a book that’s in great condition and is on the edge of your selected time frame for weeding? Think about author name recognition—is this an author who is still writing? Still living? A book in a series, perhaps? An author who made a big debut but hasn’t written anything for a long time or has seen a marked decline in popularity? Older single-title authors are usually prime targets for weeding. But, of course, everyone’s definition of older will vary. Most of the time, ten years is a good benchmark. Smaller libraries with less space may need to use five years. Another category of prime weeds is the earlier or lesser works of authors who have died. This sounds mean, but let’s face the music—they’re not writing anymore, so if what you have on the shelf isn’t going out, feel free to let it also rest in peace. Same goes for the minor titles of classic authors and more obscure classic titles that don’t circulate.
It may be a good time to revisit the questions I posed in chapter 1:
• Would I be embarrassed if the library didn’t own it?
• If I put this on display, would it go out?
• Does the book fit the needs of my community? Does it have local interest?
• Is the author still living and writing?
One of the biggest issues that comes up when weeding fiction is the balance of classics and popular titles. It’s useful to remember that everyone has a slightly different idea of what a classic is. Find a list you are happy with (Great Books, the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list, Fiction Catalog), and use it as a guideline for weeding items that aren’t circulating well but might be good candidates to keep. Check with local schools for required or recommended reading lists. If staff members are crying foul over seeing their favorite authors headed for the chopping block, try a display of staff favorites to see if there is any interest.
Your library’s collection development plan should address multiple copies—how many to purchase, when to purchase (hold ratios), and how many to keep. This is purely based on your budget and shelf space. Once interest in a title has waned, simply retain the number of copies specified in your plan. Most libraries will only have space for one, but larger collections may get away with three.
As noted in chapter 1, the response to “This is someone’s favorite book!” is, “And we’d be happy to ILL it for him.” Don’t get me wrong—I do respect that weeding can be hard for librarians who hold every book near and dear to their hearts. And I have my favorite authors and titles as well. But libraries are not museums, and they do have very real space constraints. Popular fiction makes up the majority of circulation in most public libraries, and it’s our job to maintain a useful, attractive, and interesting collection.
I’ve had great luck using AbeBooks (www.abebooks.com) and local used bookstores to obtain near-new hardcovers of older series titles. Local used bookstores can be a great source for old hardcovers in good condition, or look for a vendor online. In addition, don’t discount mass-market paperbacks as replacements—you aren’t going to find a nice hardcover of Grafton’s A Is for Alibi, but it’s OK to just keep purchasing mass markets to replace it.
When it comes to series, if the author is still popular or still writing, it is important to keep series intact. Because most fiction series are sequential and best read in order, it is helpful to retain the complete run if the size of your collection permits. In addition, the release of a new title in a series may create interest in older titles. That said, if older series books haven’t gone out in seven years or more, it’s hard to imagine that even a new release will make them circulate, so feel free to weed—and weed the whole run. Which bring us to another point: if circulation stats show you could weed two or more books from a series, you need to either keep those two, or weed the entire run. Figure out what circulation numbers you are comfortable with, and then the decision should be made to either keep them all or get rid of them all—don’t weed book five of a series just because that’s the one that’s gone out the least.
The more I write about or give programs on weeding, the more I’ve come to realize that sometimes it feels as though you need permission to weed, and someone to tell you that you’ve made the correct choice. It’s easy enough to justify deselecting the computer books from the 1990s, the medical books that are seven years old, the dinosaur books that talk about the Brontosaurus, or the outdated travel books. It’s a lot harder to think about possibly getting rid of someone’s all-time favorite read. So I’m giving you permission to weed that fiction collection. Remember that libraries are not museums, and they do have very real space constraints. Popular fiction makes up the majority of circulation in most public libraries, and it’s our job to maintain a useful, attractive, and interesting collection. A better selection of books—ones that are actually being used—should be every librarian’s goal.
Note
1. Mary K. Chelton, “Weeding the Fiction Collection: Or Should I Dump Peyton Place?” Reference & User Services Quarterly 40, no. 3 (2001): 234–9.