Throw-It Thursday: Crafting Conundrums

Question: How do you know when it’s time to get rid of a crafting book? Do you go by last checkout date? Condition? Age? The answer: yes to all of the above. There is a fine balance we walk when it comes to certain parts of our collection. Crafting books are one such area. It seems like they are always getting checked out, whether they are shiny and new, or falling apart or just plain ugly! It’s kind of a conundrum. Some books are so old you just wish you could throw them out, but they are the only books on a specific topic and patrons still use them. Others might look brand new, but not be used frequently.

Obviously, if an item hasn’t circ’ed in 5 years, get rid of it! Why are you holding on to that junk?! Unless it’s a really rare item for a specific type of craft that has limited books (but even then, no one’s using it, so WHY ARE YOU SAVING IT?!). Those crafting books that are well loved and falling apart have lived their best life: time to move on (If they are relatively new, you could look into replacing them, but with as many crafting books as are produced, I recommend replacing them with newer titles on the subject if you can). If you have a crafting book that is thirty years old, and it LOOKS like it was made in the ‘80s or ’90s, you probably don’t want to hang on to it (those pictures do NOT age well, have you seen some of the awful styles from back then?!), whether or not it gets circ’s. Make room for some newer, more eye-catching titles!

I know this doesn’t necessarily seem like an easy answer. Finding the right balance between popular, well-used items and newer, nicer items to replace the old and cruddy crafting books can be difficult, and varies from library to library. However, by weeding out old, gross, and non-circulating materials, you can help create a more visually appealing collection, as well as promoting newer materials you have.

 

Plus, the discards can also make good weapons!

Until next month, my weeding peeps. Stay safe and healthy!

Guest post by: Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian, Clintonville Public Library