Hello
Library Lovers! Happy Library Lover’s Month!
It
is still early in the year, so I think it is a good time to talk about updating
and replacing outdated materials while we still have most of our funds
available. This month, we are going to focus on medical and health books. Many
books on specific health issues get outdated very quickly (3-5 years and that
new book on cancer/autism is old news). The medical field is constantly
changing; we see this in the way illnesses and disorders are viewed and ideas
evolve about why certain people are affected, to how new treatments are
discovered and used on patients.
As
librarians, we sometimes tend to overlook the fact that our patrons rely on us
to keep our medical and health books up to date, as the ones who use them are
researching answers to problems they or someone they love are experiencing. Sometimes outdated information can be
misleading or perilous. By not keeping this area up-to-date and discarding old
and outdated material (and replacing with newer information where necessary),
we are doing our patrons a disservice. SHAME ON US! This includes children’s
books, even though they are typically less detailed and more generic when it
comes to such topics.
The
CREW method suggests several good tips/ideas for weeding this subject,
including:
“Weed
ruthlessly when it comes to current medical practices. Up-to-date information
is important, outdated materials must be promptly discarded”
“Regularly
review books on fast changing topics, such as AIDS, fertility, cancer, and
genetics to ensure that the information is up-to-date and accurate.”
“Anatomy
and Physiology do not change as rapidly as other topics.” (These books could
probably be kept up to ten years, depending on what information they hold and
the condition they are in.)
“Weed
unattractive titles, especially those that lack good illustrations.”
This
book from 2010, should be replaced with a newer version if possible, to provide
patrons with the most up-to-date information on the chickenpox virus.
Sources: CREW: a weeding manual for libraries. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/pubs/crew/index.html
Guest post by: Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian, Clintonville Public Library
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