Deaccessioning Library Materials
While the University Libraries normally keep materials indefinitely, it is sometimes necessary to remove materials from the collection because they have been superseded, no longer support the curriculum, or for reasons of space. Guidelines for deaccessioning include:
- Medical works, legal works, and directories with outdated information are routinely discarded. They contain information which is no longer correct, misleading, and possibly dangerous to users.
- Duplicate copies will normally be discarded if high use or other reasons do not justify keeping them.
- Superseded editions will normally be discarded, although care must be taken to ascertain that they do not actually contain valuable information not carried over into the subsequent edition. This is especially the case with topical collections of essays.
- Books in poor physical condition will be reviewed by subject selectors. The library will attempt to repair or replace those whose content warrants it; others will be discarded. Rare items which are valuable as artifacts will be boxed and kept in special collections.
- Audiovisual and digital materials in formats no longer supported by the Library and/or University may be discarded.
- Other works may be discarded due to space limitations. When this is necessary, we will focus on those materials that do not directly support the curriculum or graduate/faculty research and on low- or no-use materials. Selectors will verify that other copies are available through OhioLINK before discarding materials. If UD does discard the last copy of a work in Ohio, it will be offered to other OhioLINK institutions following the procedures in the OhioLINK Last Copy in Ohio guidelines.
Materials from categories 1-5 will normally be deaccessioned at the discretion of the subject selector(s) for the area involved, subject to review by the Head of Collection Management. Criteria for deaccessioning category 6 materials will be reviewed by the subject selector and Head of Collection Management on a case-by-case basis, with faculty consultation through departmental liaisons and chairs. Subject selectors will use standard core lists such as Books for College Libraries 3, Resources for College Libraries, and discipline-specific lists (e.g., the Harvard Business School Core Collection) in deciding to retain or discard materials. Departmental liaisons will normally have a two-week period to review category 6 materials before they are discarded.
Reviewed by Library Faculty 2/2006; University Library Committee 2/21/2006