WEEDING WORKSHOP
Love it or hate it, weeding is an essential task of any well-managed library collection.
Matthew and Erin will walk you through:
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why we weed,
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when we weed,
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who is involved in weeding,
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what we consider when we weed (and why it’s not just about the numbers),
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what resources we use,
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how weeding data can inform collection development strategy, and
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how we talk about weeding to others.
We’ll spend time discussing how to make weeding work for a library’s unique circumstances.
You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the weeding process, resources to turn to for more information, and language you can use to speak confidently about weeding to critics and questioners.
Erin Garzia is the Director of the Sutton Free Library. She started her library career at Tracy Memorial Library in New London, NH where she was the Collection Development Specialist and where she may have driven her supervisor crazy with her passion for weeding (hello, color-coded spreadsheets!!!). At SFL, she has refocused that enthusiasm toward crafting weeding guidelines that fit the unique challenges of a very small library that has only recently transitioned to an ILS. Erin has a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and is currently pursuing an MLS with a concentration in Leadership & Administration from Emporia State University.
Matthew Gunby is the Assistant Director of the Tracy Memorial Library in New London. Shortly after graduating with an MLIS from Syracuse University in 2011, he began working at the Meredith Public Library, starting as a circulation assistant and departing as the head of circulation ten years later. Matthew has been at Tracy Library for approximately two years. At both libraries and for various reasons, weeding had been pretty limited prior to his arrival, so he may have gotten a reputation as a scourge to books. Genuinely Matthew feels that the library is an ecosystem, so as new materials get added there is a need to make space for them and he is committed to doing so in a thoughtful and comprehensive manner.
This presentation is sponsored by the NHLA Paralibrarian Section and is open to members and non-members.
Cost: $15 NHLA Paralibrarian members $25 NHLA members/guest
Payment can be made via credit card online, or check.
If paying by check, please make payable to "NHLA" Paralibrarians and mail to: Pam Macdonald at Amherst Town Library
Registration deadline: September 4, 2025
Payment must be received prior to the start of class
Please read the NHLA Cancellation policy before registering.
Questions? Contact Hope Garner, NHLA Paralibrarian Education Chair at libraryadvocate62@gmail.com
