Fall 2025 Deselection Project

Welcome to the Fall 2025 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. 

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  Materials that no longer meet the needs of the university community may be withdrawn from the collection.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 

Titles were identified for potential removal based on the following initial criteria: zero recorded use (no check-outs or in-house use) no last check-in date, and publication date.  

The titles include books in the Children's Collection on the second floor.

A list has of titles has been created for review by the campus community. For reviewers: please download the Excel spreadsheets in the link below. The spreadsheets include information regarding volumes under review. By default, all volumes listed will be weeded unless a reviewer notifies the library to retain a title.

To notify the library to retain a title, please click on the link, Request to retain volume, which is located at the far right of each spreadsheet. The link will create a draft email addressed to michelle.hendley@oneonta.edu with the book information.  Reviewers can then send the email. Thank you for your assistance.