Library media specialists are asked to follow established procedures when ordering, maintaining, and discarding materials.  Request assistance from appropriate staff at Library Services if there are questions.

Discard Procedures

When materials are too worn or dated to remain in the collection, they should be discarded.  Follow the following procedures when discarding materials.

A. Criteria for the Weeding of School Library Media Center Materials

This listing of criteria for the discarding of school library media center materials is given as a practical guide for weeding the school library media center collection. It is recognized that there may be instances when a particular criterion may need to be tailored to an individual school collection; however, in general, the criteria apply to all levels - elementary and secondary. It is expected that any item that is selected for discard can be justified by the person responsible. For accountability purposes, discarding an item because there is not room for it on the shelf is not acceptable.

 FOR PRINT ITEMS:

1. Weeding print items based on physical appearance -- Discard items:

• That are worn out and cannot be repaired.
• That are mutilated beyond use.
• That have an antiquated appearance which discourages readers. (Exception: out-of-print volumes of need or value.)

2. Weeding print items based on outdatedness -- Discard:

a. General guidelines

• Basic information is out-of-date.
• Basic information is incorrect.
• Content has been updated with newer editions.
• Illustrative material is outdated.
• Biased or sexist terminology.

b. Weeding specific classes of books (maximum age of materials)

• Encyclopedia sets -- ten years.
• Almanacs -- five years.
• Directories -- five years.
• Biographical sources -- see "General guidelines" above.
• Dictionaries -- ten years.
• Atlases -- ten years.
• Books on mass media, descriptive geography, careers, computers -- five years.
• Topical materials -- ten years.
• Social sciences -- ten years.
• Fiction titles not listed in standard sources and which have not been checked out for three years.
• Old editions of classics whose antiquated format discourages readers.

To remove the items from the automated system, go to the menu bar in Circulation and select Utilities - Item Transfers. IMPORTANT: On the left, select the bottom option - Specified branch/collection. On the right, select your school and the collection code WD (withdrawn). Put your cursor in the box below, and scan each item to be withdrawn. Click on the Close box when done. They will no longer show up in the OPAC, but the items will remain in the system until deleted at the beginning of the next month. If you desire, you may run a report of the items any time before they are deleted.

If you deselected a newer material that still has value because you had multiple copies or no longer offer the class that the material supported, box and send the materials to Library Services, clearly marked for reassignment, where they will be offered to other libraries at the next book grab.  (This should be relatively rare).

It is not advisable to give discarded materials to teachers or students. These materials are district-owned assets and are not to be given away.

The discards sent to the warehouse may be resold, so we must mark through the ownership markings OR stamp the title page with the stamp "DISCARDED MATERIALS Omaha Public Schools Libraries." A number of these stamps are available on loan from Library Services for a period of up to one month. Contact Jane Rumbaugh to borrow a discard stamp.

The books should be boxed. Label the boxes "Discarded library books." Count the number of boxes and ask your custodian or school secretary to initiate a work order to have the boxes picked up and transported to the warehouse. The work order should specify the number of boxes and where they are being stored while awaiting pick up. At no time should discarded materials be sent to Library Services.

 At no time should discards be sent to Library Services. However current books in good shape that are appropriate for another school may be sent to us for inclusion in the book grab as reassignments.

Guidelines for Vendor's Book Fairs and Book Sales to Students

An increasing number of vendors are making offers to schools and organizations to conduct book fairs or other promotional activities in order to increase their sales of books and educational materials. Of course, they are voicing the goal of putting books into the hands and homes of children and encouraging their interest in reading as a recreational activity. No one can say that this goal does not have worthwhile value.

Consider the advantages to the vendor. He or she not only offers a greater number of books to a larger number of potential buyers, but also eliminates the expense of a salesperson. Usually the company includes an attractive "kickback"  to the party conducting the fair or activity. What school could not benefit from the extra money or free books?

A problem arises when a vendor places personal monetary gain above the quality of merchandise and sound educational standards of literary content. It is not unusual for a vendor, in designing a book fair or other promotional scheme, to build into it a way of ridding warehouses of titles which are not popular, as well as purposely offering some materials with great child or reader appeal to serve as "come - ons."

With this in mind, in order to assure that any materials offered for sale to children in schools are of high educational quality and to protect the instructional time of both staff and students, the following guidelines are set forth to govern the sale of any educational or instructional materials to students.

1. No materials shall be offered for sale to students which have not first been approved by professional staff members. (A quick review of the materials to be sold will suffice).

2. No time for student examination, selection, or purchase of materials shall be taken from instructional time during the school day.

3. No time for setting up or taking down the display, for bookkeeping or money collecting, or for any other duties pertaining to the conducting of the activity shall be used by professional staff members which detract from students' instructional time or jeopardize the quality of instruction.

Criteria for Rebinding a Book

• The body of the book must be clean and in good physical condition.
• The inside margins should measure at least 5/8 inch between the center crease and the edge of the print.
• Replacement, when possible, is a better value than rebinding.
• Books with high content value that are no longer available and that fulfill criteria one and two should be considered.

Rebinding costs are calculated based upon the size of the book.  A service charge and fuel surcharge is added to each order.  Unless the item can not be replaced, this is not a cost-effective practice and is discouraged.

Orders for rebinding will be coordinated by Library Services.  Watch e-mail communications for the date.

Make two copies of the list of books to be rebound, one for the school library media center and one for the bindery.  Box the books and label clearly "School Library Media Center Books for Bindery".  Send the books to Library Services with one copy of the list. When books are returned from the bindery, check the rebound books against the original bindery list.