RUL Scholarly and Professional Activity Committee

Title: Weed or Keep - Renovation-driven weeding project of the health sciences reference collection with particular focus on "the untouchables" - last institutional copies

Abstract: Prior to the 2013 merger with Rutgers University, George F. Smith Library was considered the flagship health sciences library in New Jersey, and the state’s largest depository of medical and dental resources. A comprehensive weeding project was not conducted at the Smith Library after the 2013 merger. A recent planned renovation of Smith Library prompted a re-evaluation of its physical reference collection, as well as the broader issue of print retention and withdrawal policies within RUL. Though Smith Library and RUL shared many duplicate copies, a substantial portion of the Smith Library’s reference collection included “last copy” monographs - defined as the last institutional copy, not duplicated in digital format, nor available in any other Rutgers library. This presentation will address the long overdue reference collection deaccessioning project with its goals, criteria, and workflow within RUL’s system policies with particular focus on the disposition of last physical copy monographs.