UC Irvine Libraries

All libraries confront the three Uh-Ohs of collections: overcrowding, out-of-date, out-of-scope. Instead of weeding in response to crises, we weed year-round. With little foreseeable growth in shelf space and a chronic need for more space, we are complementing collection growth with ongoing deselection.

To formulate sustainable and acceptable solutions to librarians and constituents across disciplines, UCI Libraries use a combination of technology and disciplinary knowledge to identify low-use and duplicate-format material. We developed and shared our different strategies for overcoming obstacles and unforeseen challenges. We created a unique and coordinated approach to rotate weeding among librarians. We show how organizations might replicate our success through communication and coordination among bibliographers and technical services. We will share the issues and the solutions, including planning, matching weeding styles to client needs, disciplinary strategies of viewing colletions, scheduling, and workflows.