Deselection Guidelines

One component of collection development is deselection, the continual evaluation of resources in order to remove items that are no longer useful. Collections evolve over time to reflect changes in the university’s mission and goals, the preferences of our users, and the academic community at large; deselection ensures that a collection remains useful and accessible.

The Furman University Library engages in a continuous process of collection deselection to ensure the usefulness of our collection. Collection Services, in consultation with Outreach Services and the Library Director, will:

Identify an area of the collection to be assessed

• A priority subject area will be identified as a candidate for deselection based on space constraints, condition and/or currency, changes in the curriculum or upon faculty request
• A subject-equivalent LC range will be identified

Create a preliminary collection of candidates for deselection using the following criteria as a starting point:

• Items that have not circulated or been used internally during a designated period [dependent on subject area]
• Second copies
• Older editions
• Items in poor condition

 Candidates for deselection will be assessed.

• Candidates will be pulled from the collection, and placed in the deselection staging area of Content Management for review, preferably during fall or spring term.
  
• The Assistant Director for Collection services will publicize the project.
• Librarians, including the Special Collections and Archives librarian, will be invited to assess the candidates.
• Assistant Director for Collection Services will notify faculty members in department areas associated with the candidates about the project. Associated departments will be given one month to evaluate the candidates either in person or via a created list.
• After one month items selected for retention by the associated departments and librarians will be moved back into the general collection and the Assistant Director for Collection Services will notify all departmental liaisons about the project via email. All faculty will be given one month to evaluate the candidates either in person or via a created list.
• After one month items selected for retention will be moved back into the general collection and remaining candidates will be removed from the collection and given to Better World Books, Greenville Literacy, or recycled as appropriate.