Public Relations and Library Weeding

Managing Print-Based Weeding Projects in Academic Libraries

“…One part of this strategy included a form letter kept on hand by library management, used to respond to emails that expressed concern about the project. By adapting this letter to address the specific concerns of each enquiry, librarians were able to clarify the purpose, process and need for the weeding project (Metz & Gray, 2005). Having this adaptable letter ready was a good way for this library to communicate with concerned members of the public and explain the rationale for the project.…”

“…the library at Virginia Polytechnic Institute) (Metz & Gray, 2005). To some extent, this may be because many libraries built in the 1960s and 1970s have reached capacity.…”

“…In this case, members of Dalhousie's community expressed concerns about the practice of weeding after the Killam Library staff used withdrawn print journals to build the "Christmas tree" in question. Misunderstandings about the rationale for removing material from the collection can occur easily and escalate quickly (Metz & Gray, 2005). In an academic setting, the key stakeholders with whom consultations must be considered include (but are not limited to) the faculty, researchers, and students.…”

“…Libraries that have taken this approach have been able to successfully manage public understanding about weeding projects. For example, a strong public relations strategy at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute helped the library management to maintain a good rapport with the community while undertaking a weeding project (Metz & Gray, 2005). One part of this strategy included a form letter kept on hand by library management, used to respond to emails that expressed concern about the project.…”

“…Users (including librarians, faculty, students and community borrowers) were invited to remove the flag if they wanted the item to stay in the collection (Snyder, 2014). Past projects have demonstrated that collaboration is an effective way to build community confidence in library management (Metz & Gray, 2005). Since librarians are ultimately trustees of information for our users, inviting users to participate in this important task can be an effective public relations strategy.…”