Do you CREW?

Do you CREW? CREW stands for Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding of your library collection. EVERYONE should CREW.

A library is more than a collection of books. It's a collection of books that are significant and useful to the population served by the library. If you blindly put every book donated to you on the shelves because you don't want to offend the donors; or you keep every item the library has every owned because it might be useful to someone someday, you are not doing your job as a librarian. You are merely maintaining a warehouse. If you are doing this your shelves are so full of clutter that your patrons can't find the things they really want. (Ugh. That's sounds like my spare room...)

What is the solution to the clutter? Weeding your collection. Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding -- CREWing. Determine your criteria for keeping material or withdrawing it. You might start with age plus circulation. If the book is over X years old and hasn't checked out in the last 5/10/whatever years, withdraw it. It is no longer serving the needs of your patrons. If that one someone who might have used a discarded book turns up next week, you haven't let him or her down. You can get the material back through Interlibrary Loan for the short time that person will need it.

But what about materials that don't get checked out, but are used a lot in house? What about classic literature? What about history books that keep their value longer that 5/10/whatever years? You don't have to invent the wheel. The State Library of Texas has been giving serious thought to the technique of CREWing for the last thirty years. Joseph Segal wrote the first CREW manual; it was later updated by Belinda Boon. The lasted revision has been released by Jeannette Larson. You can find it at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/index.html

Read the CREW manual. Discover the philosphy of Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding. If your collection is very small, you may not be able to weed as extensively as first suggested by the book, but you can follow it's philosphy. You may keep a few titles that are older than the cut off date given in the manual because they are the only ones you have on the topic -- right now. That's part of your evaluation of your collection. Now you know you need to get some newer materials in that area so you can weed those older titles next time.

How often do you weed? Larger libraries have to review their collections on a rotating schedule. Fiction and 1/4 of non-fiction this year; Juvenile and 1/4 of non-fiction next year, etc. until it's done. Then start over again. Smaller libraries can review a section each month and cover the entire library in one year. Pace yourself, but always have something under review.

Does it work? Oh, yes. Patrons who come into the library after weeding find the shelves more open and inviting. (They will swear you have purchased new books instead of getting rid of old ones.) The books that are there are brighter, newer and more inviting. They can find what they want because the clutter is gone.

What do you do with the ones you withdrew? If they are in good condition, but not appropriate for your library -- say a college textbook offered to a small hometown library -- consider offering it to a larger library that might need it. Most of the books can go into the library book sale. You can use the money earned to buy something for the library. Never held a booksale? Check with your Regional Library Consultant or State Friends of the Library organization for ideas for organizing one.

If the books are still useful, but in bad condition, try repairing them. Again, your Regional Library Consultant can give you pointers on book repair. If you don't have access to a Library Consultant, check the library supply catalogs for book repair manuals and videos. My first exposure to book repair came from a Gaylord video. Some books may need to be rebound. Check with libraries in your area to find out what binderies serve your area. If you have a bindery budget and will be sending materials to bind regularly, you can invite bids from two or three binderies to see who can offer you the best prices. If you will only send a shipment rarely, you will probably pay regular prices.

Last of all, if the books are not useful to any one, or so damaged they can not be salvaged, THROW THEM AWAY. It's not sacrilige to discard a book. Even books are consumable items. Be certain to stamp them WITHDRAWN. Remove them from your catalog and remove any book plates or book cards from them before throwing them away. Send them to paper recycling or put them in the trash. If you have self-appointed dumpster-divers who retrieve the books from your trash and give them back to you, you may have to discard them in the dark of night in trash cans far far from the library. Do it. It's worth it.