Children’s Collection maintenance guidelines
Weeding schedule:
Please follow the Collection Review Calendar.
Factors to consider:
The CREW Manual sets forth MUSTIE factors that decrease an item’s usefulness and also qualify it for
withdrawal:
M= Misleading (factually inaccurate)
U= Ugly (worn, torn, stained, yellowed, highlighter/ink marks, etc)
S= Superseded (new edition/better book on subject)
T= Trivial (no discernible literary/educational merit)
I= Irrelevant (does not address needs/interests of contemporary children)
E= Elsewhere (material may be expeditiously obtained elsewhere)
Special considerations for weeding children’s materials:
Children often need assistance in finding what they need for research and pleasure reading. Children are
not likely to note the publication date, fact check sources, notice bias or inaccurate portrayals. They are
particularly vulnerable to outdated and/or inaccurate information since they do not always have the
experience to recognize inaccuracies. Vigorously weed outdated, biased, or misleading items with this in
mind.
Below are guidelines for weeding specific areas of the children’s collection. Please note that the
Collection Review and Refresh schedule brings low circulating items to the attention of library staff as
candidates for de-selection. The following guidelines discuss reasons why staff may want to keep an
item despite its low circulation, remove an item despite its high circulation, or other special
circumstances.
Reference collections:
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES FOR BRANCH COLLECTIONS
SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Update February 2014
When weeding reference collections, consider that online resources may supersede, supplement or replace
branch hard copies. Examples of resources to consult are: Grolier Online (includes Amazing Animals of the
World, America the Beautiful, Lands and Peoples, and the New Book of Knowledge), Student Resources In
Context, and in-depth resources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica and Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia
(available through Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Circulating collections:

Board Books--Our youngest patrons explore board books with their hands, feet, and
mouths. Board book weeding should be a regular and frequent part of each branch’s
collection maintenance plan. Any one instance of significant damage, or two or three
instances of minor damage, should be cause for weeding. Only well-circulating items in
good condition should be retained.

AV – All staff are responsible for weeding this popular and ephemeral collection. It should
be weeded based on usage and currency as well as condition. Unpopular and outdated
materials should be removed to make room for new materials.

Picture Books – Evaluate these on the merit of their stories and illustrations, in addition to
physical condition. Given the wide range of excellent titles available, books in this section
should be of high quality. It is a best practice when de-selecting to replace only those titles
that remain timeless, highly popular, and cherished by staff and patrons.

Juvenile Fiction – Keep only as long as there is current interest. Wherever possible, avoid
any dull or outdated covers; they will not appeal to child patrons. Replace worn-out editions
of classics and award winners if a newer, brighter copy would attract readers. Consider
weeding multiple copies of once highly popular books.

Paperback Series Books – Weed series fiction as it becomes worn or torn. It will not always
be possible to replace titles, which can go out of print almost as quickly as they appear. Just
think of this as having them die a natural death; there will always be another series to add
to the collection.

Graphic novels – Some graphic novels are ephemeral in nature and go out of print quickly.
Weed for condition and popularity and replace as needed. Replace worn-out editions of
classics and award winners if a newer, brighter copy would attract readers.
Nonfiction – It is better to have nothing on a topic than to have inaccurate information.
Inaccurate materials in the collection may be detrimental to the child. See specific Dewey area
guidelines below.
030 Encyclopedias
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES FOR BRANCH COLLECTIONS
SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Update February 2014
Superseded encyclopedia sets can be circulated but should be withdrawn four years after
publication.
170s Ethics
Some topics in ethics are controversial and may require more careful review. Maintain multiple
viewpoints.
200 Religion
Materials should reflect the diversity of beliefs and interests, and also include detailed information
on the major international religions and atheism.
310-319 Statistics
Discard any almanacs over 2 years old.
370-379 Education
Keep only most current editions of test preparation material, but be aware that K-12 standardized
tests change more frequently than publishers put out new editions of test prep books. Education
directories and information about financing and scholarships should be the most current editions
available and no more than 3 years old.
520-539 Astronomy and Physics
Books on physics and astronomy and space exploration can become outdated quickly. Review
materials over 5 years old for accuracy and reflection of current scientific thought.
540s Chemistry
Replace materials with outdated periodic tables when new elements are added; review every 5
years for currency.
567-568 Dinosaurs
Review materials older than 5 years for accuracy since theories on coloration, extinction, etc.
change frequently.
590 Endangered Animals
Review materials older than 5 years since the status of endangered and threatened species can
change frequently.
610 – 619 Medicine
We are expected to provide the most current and accurate medical information available. Books on
illness and treatment older than 3-5 years since publication should be reviewed carefully and
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES FOR BRANCH COLLECTIONS
SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Update February 2014
replaced with a newer edition or work. They should always be withdrawn if the information is out
of date.
641-642 Cookery
Collection should reflect current culinary trends and diverse ethnic cuisines.
649 Parenting, Reproduction
Collection should reflect multiple viewpoints and current parenting trends. Ensure that books on
sex, reproduction, and families speak to the many kinds of families in our city and represent a range
of sexual and gender identities.
700-769 – Fine Arts, Crafts
Weed items with low quality illustrations or unappealing format. Discard books on knitting, crochet,
or other wearable arts that have outdated styles.
800s Literature and Writing
Writing guides should reflect current technology such as word processing, spell-check, etc.
900s Geography and Travel
Withdraw travel guides and atlases 5 years after publication. Withdraw country books 10 years
after publication or whenever major geographic or political changes have occurred within a country.
jBs Biographies
Weed unattractive, dull, worn-out editions. Weed biographies of living people 5 years after publication or
when major changes have happened in their lives.
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES FOR BRANCH COLLECTIONS
SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Update February 2014