Weeding Economics:
An Exercise in Withdrawal
Ben Bahl
LIS748: Collection Management
Berendt
10/15/14
1
Introduction
According to the Texas A&M University-Galveston libraries’ weeding policy, “Weeding a
library is like weeding a garden; one looks over everything and carefully selects those
things which need to be removed. In a library, weeding is a shelf-by-shelf and book-bybook review and withdrawal of certain books in a library’s collection.”i
Weeding is necessary to make items easier to find, easier to identify, and easier to house on
shelves. Weeding should be done for a variety of reasons, including currency, accuracy of
information, to reduce redundancy, and for condition. Considerations must be made to
determine if other libraries own the item or if the item can be found in alternative formats.
Description
This project seeks to identify books in the Dominican University circulating collection that
are candidates for de-selection, or “weeding” Consideration for weeding relies on a few
criteria: the CREW Methodii from the University of Texas Libraries, physical condition of
the item, relevancy of the material discussed by the item, accuracy of the material
discussed by the item, redundancy (i.e. are there multiple copies?), and presence at other
institutions or in other formats, and determining the shelf-space needed for the selections
to be weeded—or not weeded.
Scope
The scope of this project is constrained to a portion of the Economics section of Dominican
University’s circulating collection, numbered HB171.5 .A27 1967 through HB171.5 .K636
according to Library of Congress classification. That portion of the collection contains
about three shelves and 53 items, some of which are in multiple copies or multiple formats,
or which lack relevancy.
The following table is a list of titles and their corresponding authors in the span, along with
the number of copies, publication dates, and the Library of Congress call number for each
item. A few items feature dates in parentheses; these dates are “best guess” publication
dates or represent inconsistencies between the catalog and the shelved item(s).
Economics and the Modern World, 2nd
Edition.
Macroeconomic Theory, 2nd Edition
Abbot, Lawrence
2
Publication
Date(s)
1967
Ackley, Gardner
1
1971
Ecomonics, 3rd Edition
Macroeconomics: Analysis and
Applications
Albrecht, William P.
Bach, George Leland
1
1
1983
1977
The Theory of Macroeconomic Policy, 2nd
Edition
Economic Theory: an Integrated Text
With Special Reference to Tropical Africa
and Other Developing Areas
Microeconomic Theory: A Graphical
Analysis
Barrett, Nancy Smith
1
1975
Bell, Philip W.
Todaro, Michael P.
1
1969
Bilas, Richard
1
1967
Title
Author
# of Copies
Call
Number
HB171.5
.A27 1967
HB171.5
.A28
HB171.5
HB171.5
.B152
1977
HB171.5
.B3 1975
HB171.5
.B38
HB171.5
.B51
2
Economics: Reality Through Theory
Blanchfield, William C.
1
1973
Macroeconomic Theory
Brunhild, Gordon
1
1974
Macroeconomic Adjustments
Carlson, John A.
1
1970
Economic Issues Today: Alternative
Approaches
Intermediate Economic Analysis
Carson, Robert B.
1
1978
Carter, William H.
Snavely, William P.
Carver, Thomas Nixon
1
1961
1
1919
Theory of the Firm: Resource Allocation in
a Market Economy, 2nd Edition
Macroeconomics: the Theory of Income,
Employment, and the Price Level
Cohen, Kalman J.
1
1975
Darby, Michael R.
1
1976
Political Economy
Devas, Charles S.
2
1913
Choice and Change: An Introduction to
Economics
Prices and Markets, 3rd Edition
Dickneider, William
Kaplan, David
Dorfman, Robert
1
1978
1
1978
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy
Edgmand, Michael R.
1
1979
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy
Edgmand, Michael R.
1
1983
Outlines of Economics, 4th Edition
Ely, Richard T.
1
1924(25?)
Outlines of Economics, 5th Edition
Ely, Richard T.
1
1930(31?)
Emergence and Content of Modern
Economic Analysis
Economic Analysis
Fellner, William
3
1960
Ferguson, C.E.
Maurice, S. Charles
Ferguson, C.E.
1
1970
1
1966
1
1962
2
1965
Introduction to Economic Analysis
Ferguson, C.E.
Kreps, Juanita M.
Ferguson, C.E.
Kreps, Juanita M.
Fleming, Miles
1
(1969)
Economics: An Introductory Program
Foster, Edward
1
1970
Economics and the Private Interest: An
Introduction to Microeconomics
Economics
Gill, Richard T.
2
1970
Gitlow, Abraham L.
1
1962
Macroeconomics: Private and Public
Choice
Microeconomics: Private and Public
Choice
Gwartney, James D.
1
1977
Gwartney, James D.
1
1977
Principles of Political Economy
Microeconomic Theory
Principles of Economics
Principles of Economics, 2nd Edition
HB171.5
.B653
HB171.5
.B78
HB171.5
.C274
HB171.5
.C276
HB171.5
.C28
HB171.5
.C3
HB171.5
.C78 1975
HB171.5
.D217
1976
HB171.5
.D5
HB171.5
.D544
HB171.5
.D6176
1978
HB171.5
.E36 1979
HB171.5
.E36 1983
HB171.5
.E5
HB171.5
.E52
HB171.5
.F4
HB171.5
.F4138
HB171.5
.F45
HB171.5
.F46
HB171.5
.F46 1965
HB171.5
.F58
HB171.5
.F696
HB171.5
.G46
HB171.5
.G5
HB171.5
.G962
HB171.5
.G963
3
Economics for Historians
Hawke, G.R.
1
1980
The Economic Problem
Heilbroner, Robert L.
1
1968
The Economic Problem, 2nd Edition
Heilbroner, Robert L.
1
1970
The Economic Problem, 4th Edition
2
1975
1
1978
1
1981
2
1971
1
1968
Understanding Microeconomics, 3rd
Edition
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Thurow, Lester C.
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Thurow, Lester C.
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Thurow, Lester C.
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Ford, Arthur M.
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Ford, Arthur M.
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Ford, Arthur M.
1
1975
Understanding Microeconomics, 4th
Edition
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Ford, Arthur M.
1
1978
Understanding Macroeconomics, 6th
Edition
Heilbroner, Robert L.
Ford, Arthur M.
1
1978
Toward Understanding Macroeconomics
1
1976
1
1976
Price and Welfare Theory
Heyne, Paul
Janson, Thomas
Heyne, Paul
Janson, Thomas
Hibdon, James E.
1
1969
Price Theory and Applications
Hirschleifer, Jack
1
1976
Price Theory and Applications, 2nd Edition
Hirschleifer, Jack
1
1980
Markets in the Modern Economy: An
Introduction to Microeconomics
New Prospects in Economic Analysis
Hogendorn, Jan S.
1
1974
Kendall, M.G.
1
1960
Scarcity Challenged: An Introduction to
Economics
Kohler, Heinz
1
1968
The Economic Problem, 5th Edition
The Economic Problem, 6th Edition
Is Economics Relevant? A Reader in
Political Economics
Understanding Microeconomics
Toward Understanding Macroeconomics
HB171.5
.H3495
HB171.5
.H39
HB171.5
.H39 1970
HB171.5
.H39 1975
HB171.5
.H39 1978
HB171.5
.H39 1981
HB171.5
.H391
HB171.5
.H392
HB171.5
.H392
1975
HB171.5
.H392
1978
HB171.5
.H392
1978b
HB171.5
.H466
HB171.5
.H466
HB171.5
.H47
HB171.5
.H66
HB171.5
.H66 1980
HB171.5
.H685
HB171.5
.K4
HB171.5
.K636
Process
Each item in the collection has been reviewed according to the CREW Method, for currency,
for redundancy/presence in other formats, for condition, and for relevance. Items are listed
individually, with weeding decisions below basic title information.
The MUSTIE plan laid out in the CREW Method informs the decisions made for each item:
M = Misleading
U = Ugly
S = Superseded
T = Trivial
4
I = Irrelevant
E = Elsewhere
Following that rubric, items will be kept or weeded accordingly.
Holdings at other libraries in Illinois were reviewed via the I-Share portal on Dominican’s
catalog.
The CREW Method, beyond providing MUSTIE guidelines, does not really inform the
weeding of this collection. According to the CREW Method, volumes in Economics that are 3
years out of copyright, 3 years out of most recent use, or fall into one or more MUSTIE
categories should be considered for weeding. The most recent copyright of any item in this
span is 1983.
Replacement items have been located using Amazon.iii
The Dominican University Collection Development Policyiv offers little guidance in terms of
what constitutes an “out-of-date” title, so the CREW Method was used to fill in the gaps in
doctrine.
Redundancy
Items that have more than one copy on shelf should be pared to one copy. Therefore, the
following items and quantities (in parentheses) will be weeded.
-Economics and the Modern World, 2nd Edition. Abbot, Lawrence (1)
-Political Economy. Devas, Charles L. (1)
-Emergence and Content of Modern Economic Analysis. Fellner, William. (2)
-Economics and the Private Interest: An Introduction to Microeconomics. Gill, Richard T. (1)
-The Economics Problem, 4th Edition. Heilbroner, Robert L. and Thurow, Lester C. (1)
-Is Economics Relevant? A Reader in Political Economics. Heilbroner, Robert L. and Ford,
Arthur M. (1)
Currency
The most recent item in the span was published in 1983. The oldest item in the span was
published in 1913. The collection seems to be wildly out of date; titles ordered to replace
weeded items are generally far newer editions of the same work or completely new titles,
several of which were published in 2012, 2013, or 2014.
Individual Items
Economics and the Modern World, 2nd Edition. Abbot. 1967
Held at several other libraries, and supersedes existing copies at other institutions. Keep
this item.
Macroeconomic Theory, 2nd Edition. Ackley. 1971
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
5
Ecomonics, 3rd Edition. Albrecht. 1983
Weed this item, even though it is only held at Dominican. Replace with the 4th edition of
the same work (1986).
Macroeconomics: Analysis and Applications. Bach. 1977
Weed this item. Replace with the 2nd edition of the same work (1980).
The Theory of Macroeconomic Policy, 2nd Edition. Barrett. 1975
Weed this item. Also held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Economic Theory: an Integrated Text With Special Reference to Tropical Africa and Other
Developing Areas. Bell. 1969
Keep this item. Only one other copy in Illinois, at SIU-Edwardsville.
Microeconomic Theory: A Graphical Analysis. Bilas. 1967
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with 2 copies of
Economics, Glen Hubbard (2013).
Economics: Reality Through Theory. Blanchfield. 1973
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Macroeconomic Theory. Brunhild. 1974
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Macroeconomic Adjustments. Carlson. 1970
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Economic Issues Today: Alternative Approaches. Carson. 1968
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with the 6th edition
of the same work (2006).
Intermediate Economic Analysis. Carter. 1961
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Koop’s
Analysis of Economic Data (2013).
Principles of Political Economy. Carver. 1919
Remove this item to archival storage. The item is water damaged and held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
Theory of the Firm: Resource Allocation in a Market Economy, 2nd Edition. Cohen. 1975
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Becerra’s
Theory of the Firm for Strategic Management: Economic Value Analysis (2009).
Macroeconomics: the Theory of Income, Employment, and the Price Level. Darby. 1976
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Krugman’s
Macroeconomics (2012).
6
Political Economy. Devas. 1913
This title from 1913 already has two copies on the shelf and is quite fragile. To protect the
existing items, one copy should be put in archival storage. from shelves. Digital copies are
available from the HathiTrust. Replace with Frieden’s International Political Economy:
Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, 5th Edition (2009) and Weingast’s The Oxford
Handbook of Political Economy (2008).
Choice and Change: An Introduction to Economics. Dickneider. 1978
Keep this item. Only copy in I-Share.
Prices and Markets, 3rd Edition. Dorfman. 1978
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Hirshleifer’s
Price Theory and Applications: Decisions, Markets, and Information (2005).
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy. Edgmand. 1979
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Froyen’s
Macroeconomics: Theories and Policies, 10th Edition (2012)
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy. Edgmand. 1983
Keep this item. Only copy in I-Share.
Outlines of Economics, 4th Edition. Ely. 1924 (1925?)
Keep this item, but remove to archival storage. Condition is okay, but the volume is fragile
with thin stock for the text block. Other copies are available through I-Share.
Outlines of Economics, 5th Edition. Ely. 1930 (1931?)
Keep this item, but remove to archival storage. Condition is okay, but the volume is fragile
with thin stock for the text block. Other copies are available through I-Share.
Emergence and Content of Modern Economic Analysis. Fellner. 1960
Three copies of this item are on shelf. Weed one copy, but keep one in reserve. Condition
is okay, but not great. All three spines are reinforced with book tape, and the cloth-overboard covers are faded and beginning to wear on corners. The item is also held at several
other institutions.
Economic Analysis. Ferguson. 1970
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Antell’s
Economics: Institutions and Analysis (2004).
Microeconomic Theory. Ferguson. 1966
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Browning’s
Microeconomics: Theory and Applications (2011).
Principles of Economics. Ferguson. 1962
Keep this item. Held at only two other locations in I-Share.
7
Principles of Economics, 2nd Edition. Ferguson. 1965
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Introduction to Economic Analysis. Fleming. (1969)
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with McAfee’s
Introduction to Economic Analysis (2009).
Economics: An Introductory Program. Foster. 1970
Keep this item. Held at only three other institutions in I-Share.
Economics and the Private Interest: An Introduction to Microeconomics. Gill. 1970
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Dolan’s
Introduction to Microeconomics, 4th Edition (2010).
Economics. Gitlow. 1962
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois.
Macroeconomics: Private and Public Choice. Gwartney. 1977
Weed this item. Out of date. Replace with the most recent edition (2014) of the same title.
Microeconomics: Private and Public Choice. Gwartney. 1977
Weed this item. Out of date. Replace with the 14th recent edition (2013) of the same title.
Economics for Historians. Hawke. 1980
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Rawski’s
(ed.) Economics and the Historian (1996).
The Economic Problem. Heilbroner. 1968
Weed this item. Out of date, and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
The Economic Problem, 2nd Edition. Heilbroner. 1970
Weed this item. Out of date, and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
The Economic Problem, 4th Edition. Heilbroner. 1975
Weed this item. Out of date, and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
The Economic Problem, 5th Edition. Heilbroner. 1978
Weed this item. Out of date, and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
The Economic Problem, 6th Edition. Heilbroner. 1981
Keep this item. Out of date, and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
8
other institutions in Illinois. Augment with multiple copies of the 9th edition (1990).
Is Economics Relevant? A Reader in Political Economics. Heilbroner. 1971
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Barma’s The
Political Economy Reader: Markets As Institutions (2007).
Understanding Microeconomics. Heilbroner. 1968
Weed this item. Out of date and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
Understanding Microeconomics, 3rd Edition. Heilbroner. 1975
Weed this item. Out of date and superseded by subsequent editions. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois.
Understanding Microeconomics, 4th Edition. Heilbroner. 1978
Keep this item, even though it is out of date and superseded. Augment with the 9th edition
of the same title (1990).
Understanding Macroeconomics, 6th Edition. Heilbroner. 1978
Keep this item, even though it is out of date and superseded. Augment with the 9th edition
of the same title (1990).
Toward Understanding Macroeconomics. Heyne. 1976.
Keep this item. Only copy in I-Share.
Toward Understanding Macroeconomics. Heyne. 1976.
Keep this item. Only copy in I-Share.
Price and Welfare Theory. Hibdon. 1969
Weed this item. Held at numerous other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Pigou’s The
Economics of Welfare (2013).
Price Theory and Applications. Hirschleifer. 1976
Weed this item. Out of date and superseded by subsequent edition. Held at numerous
other institutions in Illinois. Replace with Landsberg’s Price Theory and Applications
(2013).
Price Theory and Applications, 2nd Edition. Hirschleifer. 1980
Keep this item. Augment with the 7th edition (2005) of the same title.
Markets in the Modern Economy: An Introduction to Microeconomics. Hogendorn. 1974
Keep this item. Held at only three other libraries in I-Share.
New Prospects in Economic Analysis. Kendall. 1960
Keep this item, but shift to archival storage and digital copy. Currently bound in heavy
card stock. Rebind?
9
Scarcity Challenged: An Introduction to Economics. Kohler. 1968
Keep this item. Held at a few other libraries in I-Share, but not many.
Summary
This hypothetical weeding project presented an opportunity to get into a collection and
gain greater understanding of evaluation, selection, and de-selection of items. It underlined
the importance of time spent in a collection and the need for careful, but decisive action
when weeding. The collection’s healthy growth depends on that kind of consideration.
Many items were weeded outright, while a couple made it into archival storage. Other
items can be found at other libraries in I-Share, or digitally through the HathiTrust or as ebooks. Most, but not all, of the weeded items were replaced either with more current
editions of the same title or newer titles that covered similar ground.
“Weeding Policy.” Texas A&M University-Galveston. Retrieved from
http://www.tamug.edu/library/librarypolicies/weedingpolicy.html, 15 October 2014.
ii Larson, Jeanette. “CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries.” Texas State Library
and Archives Commission. Austin, Texas. 2012.
iii Amazon. http://www.amazon.com
iv Dominican University. Collection Development Policy. Retrieved from
https://wiki.carli.illinois.edu/images/d/d7/DUCollDev2008.pdf, 15 October 2014.
i