Disposing of Library Equipment and Materials
All discarded materials should have a logical reason for being removed using standard
weeding procedures discussed in other sections of this handbook.
FNSBSD equipment containing a district inventory/asset tag should be surplussed
using the standard Shipping & Receiving form and procedures.
Sensitive or controversial materials should be cleared with the Director of Library
Media Services prior to disposal.
When disposing of deleted materials, consider the following points:

Other libraries or schools in the district may be offered materials that are not
needed in your library if they are usable and would enrich their collections. Clear
transfer of these materials with your principal before doing so.

Unless you’re sending an item to another school library, everything you delete
should be prominently marked DISCARD or DELETE. You can buy a large rubber
stamp to make this faster. Mark the cover and the inside of books as well. Mark
out your library name. Remove or mark out all barcodes and spine label on the
materials. (You need to do this because it is amazing the number of items that will
find their way back to your library if you don’t. People feel good about “rescuing”
library books).

Teachers may be offered their choice of usable (albeit out-of-date) deleted
materials for use in their classrooms or personal collections. Make it clear that
these things must not come back to the library and that if they do, they will be
discarded.

Students and parents may be offered usable (albeit out-of-date) deleted materials
for their homes. Make it clear that anything that gets returned to the library will be
discarded.

Materials containing significant inaccurate or outdated information should be
destroyed by being torn or defaced so that it is obviously not usable. Perhaps the
pictures could be clipped from some books for a picture file or for use in art
projects.

Materials with educational value may be offered to other educational institutions
such as the Literacy Council, the public library or other local libraries, preschool
programs etc. Be sure these books are clearly marked for discard with all property
stamps carefully blacked out, and barcodes removed or covered.

Dispose of all remaining materials by coordinating with your building custodian.
Double garbage bag the books or seal them into heavy waterproof boxes. This
keeps individual books from surfacing at a local dump or landfill and prompting
public outcry from people who do not realize the careful process you followed in
selecting and removing these volumes from your collection.
Note: If you feel uncomfortable making decisions
about the disposal of weeded library materials,
please contact the Director of Library Media Services
and request training.
FNSBSD Library Handbook
Updated 12/8/2010