Weeding the 000's

Hello,
This month we are going to weed the 000’s. It is likely a fairly small section and shouldn’t be too difficult to weed. The 000’s are Generalities. Please remember that you aren’t required to discard any book that is important to your library. These are guidelines, not mandates.

004 (Computers)
Books about computers are seldom useful after three years. Consider your community and the students. Will these books be useful to them? Do the manuals fit the hardware or software you are now using? Series like ‘Dummies’ and ‘Idiot’s Guide’ are usually more useful and will last longer.

010 (Bibliography)
Discard most bibliographies ten years from the date of copyright or when superseded by a new edition unless your bibliography is used regularly.

020 (Library Science)
Discard all that do not conform to current, acceptable practice. Discard all that is obsolete or outdated.

030 (General Encyclopedias)
Print encyclopedias should be updated at least every five years. Older sets can circulate, but be careful with information over eight years old. Many schools use an online encyclopedia for the most current information. Older encyclopedias can be sold or circulated.

Other 000’s
Trivia books may be kept indefinitely or until they are no longer useful or interesting. Quotation books, books of oddities, and other books like this may be kept as long as they are useful. Copyright dates may not be an issue here as long as the books are worthy of a place on your shelves.


Books to add to this section of your library would include books on trivia, Guinness World Records, other world record books, books on computers and computing, question and answer books, and books with fun facts. When we get a new Guinness World Record book, I look through and cover over with a large sticker photos that may be inappropriate for younger children (such as the woman with the largest breast implants). Most children enjoy reading about oddities and the world record books are very popular. If you purchase these, it is good to be aware of the information inside. Skim through it before you put it on the shelves.

Weeding information is from CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew.

Have a great week.
Audrey