Library Weeding, Donating Books

November 18, 2014

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Muntz Library Announces Partnership with Books For Africa, Better World Books

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November 18, 2014

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

November 17, 2014

The University of Texas at Tyler Robert R. Muntz Library officials are currently removing unused and outdated items from the shelves to increase group study space and enhance existing collections, Jeanne Standley, Muntz Library director, announced.

As part of this extensive de-selection project, UT Tyler will donate the unwanted materials to Books For Africa, the largest shipper of donated text and library books to the continent, through Better World Books.

“We’re excited about the partnership we have developed with Books For Africa and Better World Books,” Standley said. “The library and the UT Tyler Office of Business Affairs worked together to find a solution for what to do with the withdrawn materials that would be in keeping with the rules and guidelines for the disposal of state property.”

Better World Books will provide the boxes and shipping free of charge for UT Tyler to send the discarded items to Books For Africa. The project will continue through next year, with the goal of shipping the materials after the end of the Fall 2015 semester.

Officials are clearing its collection on a much larger scale is due to UT Tyler student feedback. The library’s recent space and strategic planning initiatives indicate that there is need for more study space, especially group study and collaborative learning spaces.

“On a smaller scale in the past, we’ve been able to donate some items from our collection to local schools. We also offer our materials to other libraries in the state. However, because so much of what we are removing is of little or no use to any other libraries also, we wanted to find a solution that would be beneficial to others,” Standley said.

For more information about the project and plans, visit the Weeding Project webpage.

De-selection or “weeding” is the process of removing old and underused books to make room for new services and collections. It is the library’s goal to reduce the print collection by 30 to 50 percent, while continuing the growth of the online collections.

“This will allow us to convert half of the third floor into a collaborative learning space,” Standley added. “The fourth floor will be converted to quiet study areas. ‘Weeding’ is a normal part of library collection development. Our librarians are always reviewing the collection and pruning out materials that have become outdated or are no longer relevant to the UT Tyler community.”

An analysis of the print book collection revealed nearly 50 percent of the print books on the third floor are more than 10 years old and have not been checked out in 10 years. “At the same time, we are acquiring an increasing number of very current e-books that are accessible to both onsite and distance students, and we anticipate that this trend will be continuing,” she said.

When libraries dispose of outdated or underused materials, the books that are up-to-date and useful are easier to find on the shelves. When information that is no longer useful, current or appropriate is removed, the Muntz Library will have a collection that is more relevant to the user community.

In addition, a smaller print collection means that library officials will be able to commit more time and money to maintaining the online collection, which is more current and used at a much higher rate than the print collection.

“While we may be removing unused and outdated materials, we are not in fact going ‘bookless,’” she added. “We currently have access to over 85,000 e-books and will continue to collect print items based on the availability and needs of the academic programs at UT Tyler.”

The UT Tyler Robert R. Muntz Library provides access to a vast array of scholarly resources and services to meet the information needs of the UT Tyler community and serves as a center of discovery, exchange and advancement of ideas.

For more information, contact Standley, 903.566.7351 or jstandley@uttyler.edu or visit http://library.uttyler.edu.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 8,000 high-ability students. UT Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.