The Importance of Weeding a School (or Classroom) Library

        In this Knowledge Quest article, Maryland librarians Casey Grenier and Lauren Lynn say that in light of the number of challenges these days, it’s important to heed the American Library Association’s 2014 Library Bill of Rights: 

        “Resources in school library collections are an integral component of the curriculum and represent diverse points of view on both current and historical issues. These resources include materials that support the intellectual growth, personal development, individual interests, and recreational needs of students.” 

The needs of all students, say Grenier and Lynn, “not just the needs of a few or a vocal majority.” And that involves continuously adding to the collection, evaluating what’s on library shelves, and tossing out what doesn’t belong. It’s an excellent idea, they say, to get student input on specific books, and types of books, they’d like to see in the library. 

        Students can also be involved in culling books that need to be taken out for a variety of reasons. Grenier and Lynn have used two acronyms for making decisions. The first is MUSTIE, which was developed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (building on the work of Joseph Segal and Belinda Boon): 

• Misleading or factually inaccurate; 
• Ugly – worn beyond mending or rebinding; 
• Superseded by a new edition or a much better book on the subject; 
• Trivial – of no discernible literary or scientific value; 
• Irrelevant to the needs and interests of students and educators; 
• Elsewhere – the material is easily available in another library or database. 

There’s also the FRESH acronym coined by Jennifer LaGarde: 

• Fosters a love of reading; 
• Reflects a diverse population; 
• Equitable global view; 
• Supports the curriculum; 
• High quality. 

On the key issue of a diverse collection, Grenier and Lynn believe these questions should shape purchases and a systematic look at what’s in the collection (quoted directly): 

• How can I expect students to feel welcome and appreciated in my school library and school if they don’t see anyone who looks like them in our books? 
• How can I expect my students to feel that they are part of a community when they don’t see a family like theirs or anyone dealing with their struggles? 
• How can I say that my mission is to inspire my students to grow and embrace diversity when they don’t have access to books that tell the stories of people who come from different backgrounds? 
• How will my students develop empathy when I’ve never challenged them to step outside of their comfort zones? 

There’s one more reason to be continuously weeding the collection, say Grenier and Lynn: a principal who sees all the shelves full of books might conclude that the library doesn’t need a budget for new books! 

 “Reflecting Our Students and Our World in Our School Library Collections” by Casey Grenier and Lauren Lynn in Knowledge Quest, March/April 2022 (Vol. 50, #4, pp. 14-21); the authors can be reached at grenierc@calvertnet.k12.md.us and LynnL@calvertnet.K12.md.us.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #927 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.