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Education Books Deselection Project

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Welcome to the Education Books Deselection Project information guide.  This guide provides background on the deselection of library materials as an important element of collection development, a description of the project, and the process for campus review of the books being recommended for withdrawal from the library's collections. 

Collection Development and Deselection

Milne Library's book collection is reviewed periodically to ensure that it is meeting the current curriculum, educational, scholarship, and informational needs of the university's students, faculty, and staff.  Materials that no longer meet the needs of the university community may be withdrawn from the collection.  A thoughtful review of the print collection and removal of titles deemed no longer suitable is a necessary part of collection development for all academic libraries. 

Milne Library's deselection process ensures the professional and responsible removal of material from the collection. The process is guided by the Milne Library's Collection Development Policy and the scholarly literature on the removal of library materials.  In addition, the deselection process is collaborative, transparent, sustainable, and inclusive.  The library will consult with the campus community prior to the permanent removal of material from the collection. The following criteria, which is set out in the Collection Development Policy, are considered when identifying material for deselection:   

  • Circulation history   

  • In-house use   

  • Acquisition date   

  • Last check in date    

  • Publication date   

  • Availability at other SUNY libraries   

  • Availability in digital format   

  • Citation counts   

  • Listed in core lists/subject bibliographies   

  • Listed in Choice as Outstanding Academic Title   

  • Local author   

  • Local subject matter   

  • Value to college curriculum/campus users   

  • Significance to the discipline   

  • Value as primary source    

  • Value representing diverse perspectives    

  • Physical condition   

  • Duplicate copies 

Project Description

Milne librarians have identified 545 titles in the Education section of the collection for potential removal based on the deselection criteria.  A list of these titles has been created for review by the campus community. Milne Library is committed to an inclusive and collaborative process that will result in improvement to the overall collection.

For reviewers, please download the spreadsheet below. The spreadsheet includes the title, author, date of publication, and barcode of the volumes under review. By default, all volumes listed will be weeded unless a reviewer requests that the library keep a title. To notify the library to retain a title, please email Michelle Hendley (michelle.hendley@oneonta.edu)  with the book's title and barcode.  The deadline for feedback is December 2, 2024. Thank you for your assistance.