What happens to weeded materials? Donating Used Books

to Outside Agencies A small number of resources that are weeded Weeding from the library collection may be offered to another area of the school or to another The donation of resources weeded from the School Library school in the WRDSB. school library collection or from other areas

of the school is not recommended. Collections

When an item is weeded because;

• a newer edition is available,  If information is outdated or inaccurate or • it has not been in demand and has not the resource is in poor condition, it is not circulated or been used for a significant appropriate for our children, nor is it period of time, One of the truest of appropriate for any other children. • the content no longer aligns with gardening sayings is that

curriculum,  Materials selected for our schools may not you have to be cruel to be • a target student population has moved meet the needs of children from other kind. from the school (i.e., French Immersion) or cultures in terms of language or cultural the grade range of the school has changed, appropriateness. If things are left to the resource may be may be offered to overgrow, they look out of another area in the school or another site  Most book donation charities are unwilling within the board, if other current selection to accept used or discarded books. shape, scale and control. criteria are met.  Charities often prefer donations of new B. Davis books, or cash donations that can be used When an item is weeded because; to select resources most appropriate for • its content is outdated, inaccurate or the needs of the receiving community. irrelevant, • its content can no longer be supported by selection criteria, • it is worn or damaged beyond repair, the resource may not be offered to another area of the school or another site within the board. These discarded materials are recycled.

library.wrdsb.ca What is weeding? Why weed? Principles of Weeding

Weeding is the removal of library resources Weeding ensures that: A resource should be weeded if: that no longer meet the principles and criteria for selection expressed in the WRDSB  The collection adheres to criteria in the  Its content is outdated, inaccurate or guideline document, Selection of Educational WRDSB guideline document, Selection of irrelevant Resources. Educational Resources  Its content can no longer be supported by Secondary teacher-librarians and elementary  The collection is accurate, current and selection criteria digital literacy support teachers (DLST) relevant continually re-assess the relevance of  Its content no longer supports the resources in the library collection, selecting  The collection appears refreshed, making it curriculum new resources and de-selecting (weeding) more appealing to developing readers and resources that no longer meet criteria. researchers, increasing circulation  It is worn or damaged beyond repair

This continuous renewal cycle applies to all  Current and reliable resources are easier  The medium becomes obsolete and/or the library resources in all formats – print, to locate equipment required to use it becomes electronic and multimedia. obsolete or unavailable (e.g., filmstrips,  All resources in general are easier to locate floppy discs, VHS tapes etc.)

 Potential damage to resources because of  A newer edition has been purchased Weeding is the act of reevaluating over-crowded shelves is minimized items in the collection and removing  It has not been in demand and has not any that are inaccurate, out of date,  The teacher-librarian or DLST can make an circulated or been used for a significant misleading, inappropriate, unused, in accurate assessment of the strengths and period of time poor condition, or otherwise harmful weaknesses of the collection through gap to students. It is something all analysis and address areas of need  The targeted audience of the resource is librarians and library media specialists accordingly no longer part of the school population, must do regularly if they want to for example, if French immersion is no maintain the best possible collections Some areas of the collection become longer offered in a school or if the grade for their school communities. It is a outdated more rapidly than others and range within a school changes professional responsibility that cannot require more frequent weeding. Science be taken lightly. resources, for example, require particular scrutiny because of the fast rate of Baubach & Miller (2006). Less is More: A Practical Guide change in knowledge in this area. to Weeding School Library Collections.