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Collection Evaluation and Weeding
Conducted by Kayla Jackson
Weeding the 520 section of the SEBMS Library
Use of Data Evaluation
Overall, the average age of the books in this collection is 16 years old, many of them being published in or around 1999. Below is a chart depicting the average ages for books in each section of the astronomy collection.
As far as how frequently these books circulate, the numbers are not very high compared to the number of books in the collection. Below I have created a line graph depicting how many books from each section have circulated this year versus how many books have circulated in each section total.
Evaluation of Curricular Needs
S6E1. Students will explore current scientific views of the universe and how those views evolved.
a. Relate the Nature of Science to the progression of basic historical scientific models
(geocentric, heliocentric) as they describe our solar system, and the Big Bang as it
describes the formation of the universe.
b. Describe the position of the solar system in the Milky Way galaxy and the universe. c. Compare and contrast the planets in terms of Size relative to the earth Surface and atmospheric features Relative distance from the sun Ability to support life
d. Explain the motion of objects in the day/night sky in terms of relative position.
e. Explain that gravity is the force that governs the motion in the solar system.
f. Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
S6E2. Students will understand the effects of the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun.
a. Demonstrate the phases of the moon by showing the alignment of the earth,
moon, and sun.
b. Explain the alignment of the earth, moon, and sun during solar and lunar eclipses. c. Relate the tilt of the earth to the distribution of sunlight throughout the year and
its effect on climate.
According the school librarian, many of the books from this section of the library are used when 6th grade teachers are conducting their units on space and Astronomy. The students may not check the books out, but their teachers may bring them into the library to do research, at which time the students may use the books. Therefore, this section does serve a purpose in our library and should certainly be kept. However, there is a major issue.
As I said before, much about space and our understanding of it has changed since the time period when these books were written. With the average age of the books in this section being 16 years old, it is likely that many of the books contain information that is no longer valid, has been proven false, or has been since clarified. The biggest discrepancy I have found thus far is the inclusion of Pluto as a planet. This changed in 2006, but since many of the books in the 523 section come way before this time, they include incorrect information about Pluto and its planetary status.
Weeding List
Sky and Earth from the "A Child's First Library of Learning" series
Published in 1989, this book is extremely out of date. Using the MUSTY acronym, I found the information in this book to be misleading, due mainly to Pluto being named the ninth planet. Also, the book has seen better days. While it is still intact, it is very much out of style and therefore unappealing to the eye of potential readers.
Space: Stars, Planets, and Spacecraft by Sue Becklake
This book was published in 1991, making it over 20 years old. Once again, we run into the problem of this book containing information that states that Pluto is one of the nine planets, rather than labeling Pluto as what we now call a dwarf planet. Since much of this book is about the planets, this misleading information greatly depreciates the educational value of this book. Therefore, it needs to be discarded.
Black Holes by Don Nardo
While this book was not published as long ago as the others (2003), it has obviously been read much more. Using the MUSTY acronym again, I decided that this book needs to be disposed of based on its appearance. It's binding is coming loose, and a few of its pages are coming unglued. It has already been repaired with book tape, and so the only logical next step is to get rid of it.
Astronomy by Kristen Lippincott
My reasoning for weeding this particular book is that there is a much newer, more up to date version in the library the supersedes it. The version I am proposing weeding was published in 1994, while the newer version was published in 2001.
1,001 Ideas for Science Projects by Marion A. Brisk
This selection, published in 1992, is in very rough shape. It is a paperback edition, and while much of the information could be correct (other than the model of the solar system), it is dilapidated. I suggest weeding this selection, but then finding a more up-to-date edition that is preferably in hardback.