Collection Evaluation and Weeding
by Heather Hodges
Section 551
Data Evaluation
Evaluation of Curricular Needs
Weather is one of the standards covered in the first grade science curriculum.
S1E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate weather data to identify patterns in weather and climate.
a. Represent data in tables and/or graphs to identify and describe different types of weather and the characteristics of each type.
b. Ask questions to identify forms of precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, and hailstones as either solid (ice) or liquid (water).
c. Plan and carry out investigations on current weather conditions by observing, measuring with simple weather instruments (thermometer, wind vane, rain gauge), and recording weather data (temperature, precipitation, sky conditions, and weather events) in a periodic journal, on a calendar seasonally, and graphically.
d. Analyze data to identify seasonal patterns of change. (Clarification statement: Examples could include temperature, rainfall/snowfall, and changes to the environment.)
The librarian said that the teachers check out many of the books in this section when they are covering weather and the students are very interested in the natural disaster books.
Weeding List
As I mentioned before the subject matter in this section is all relevant and has not changed. All the books are in very good condition with only a few having slight tears on the pages. It was hard to figure out which books to weed because of this. I decided to go by circulation when coming up with the final weeding list.
Volcanoes by Franklyn M. Brantley
This book was written in 1986. The illustrates are very simple and while the information is still relevant but it has only been checked out once in 13 years. This is book that could go to a classroom because it is still useful but it is being neglected.
Quakes Split the Ground Open by Clare Oliver
The cover of this book looks very interesting. It tells about the havoc that Earthquakes cause and names some Earthquakes that have happened in our time. It has only been checked out 3 times in 13 years. Since it was written in 1999 it is probably a little dated for young students who would not have heard of the Earthquakes named in the book but this one is also a good book to be donated to a classroom.
Marshes and Swamps by Gail Gibbons
The illustrations in this book are very pretty. It describes animals and plants that live in marshes and swamps and tells the reader what the differences between the two are. It was written in 1999 and has only been checked out 3 times in 13 years. To me this book seems out of place with the books on weather and doesn't really fit in with the weather standards. It would be wise to move it elsewhere or give it to a classroom.
Mountains by Anna O'Mara
This book is small so it could get overlooked because of that. The author tells about different types of mountains, the terrain, conditions, and plants and animals that live there. It was in good condition but was written in 1996 and only checked out twice in the 13 years.
Air is All Around Us by Franklyn M. Brantley
There are actually two copies of this book in the library. One is larger with more dated illustrations. The other is smaller and newer. Both are in excellent condition but the larger one was only been checked out 3 times. The smaller has been checked out 8 times. Both are from 1986. This story is cute because it's about air and how even though you can't see it it's still there.
Science with Weather by Rebecca Heddle and Paul Shipton
This is a fun science book that has easy text and experiments using household items. It is a smaller book and could get lost among the others but it seems like it would be fun for students to try out the experiments. It was written in 1993 and has been checked out 3 times in 13 years.
Disposition of Materials
Record keeping of discarded material must follow federal, state, and county guidelines and should include:
- Labeling each item "discarded".
- Removing barcode, spine label, reading program labels
- Updating MARC records to reflect removal of materials
- Discard list should be generated and kept in media file
Houston County Board of Education
The librarian said to get discard the weeded books we would need permission from an administrator and then follow the above steps.