Weeding and Collection Shifts

This week during my internship, I had the opportunity to actively participate in the weeding process by selecting Spanish language materials from the collection using the guidelines provided by the Collection Services Department. This was a valuable hands-on experience that allowed me to apply weeding criteria such as condition, relevance, publication date, and circulation history.

My supervisor explained that the branch is currently going through several collection shifts. Audiobooks have been moved to the back of the library, and the mystery section has been condensed. The space where audiobooks were previously located will now house the Spanish section, which is larger and more visible. This change also creates room for an expanded Chinese section and a new Russian collection, reflecting the community's needs.

The items I selected for the wedding matched exactly what my supervisor was looking for, and all of them were withdrawn from the collection. Since only librarians are allowed to delete items, my supervisor, who is both a librarian and the branch supervisor, completed that step and confirmed my selections were appropriate. Many of the items were in poor condition, had outdated content, or had not circulated in years.

My ability to understand Spanish was especially helpful, as it allowed me to quickly evaluate materials without relying heavily on the catalog record. I was able to read the book information directly and consider the publication and acquisition dates, which are listed inside the books with an SPL sticker.

Overall, this experience helped me better understand the importance of weeding in maintaining a relevant and accessible collection, as well as how collection shifts and merchandising decisions support the community's needs.