Discarding of library materials

Discarding is the official withdrawal of library materials (and the attendant library records) from a library collection because they are unfit for further use or are no longer needed. When properly done, discarding of library materials is a positive activity and allows the Libraries’ collections to better support the University’s teaching and research goals.

The discarding of library materials will be guided by the following principles:

• No materials should be discarded before consultation with the primary subject liaison librarian for the subject or division.
• The discarding of an item consists of three processes: identifying items for removal, removing the item from the catalogue, and physical disposal. All of these processes must be carried out to properly discard an item.
• Not all criteria will necessarily apply in the same way to each part of the Libraries' collections.
• Criteria for the selection of material to be discarded from the collection include, but are not limited to:
  • relevance to the University of Manitoba's teaching and research programs
  • physical condition of the item
  • circulation history
  • monetary value
  • duplication of the material in other copies or other formats
  • availability of the material elsewhere or in newer editions
  • resource-sharing obligations
  • language of publication
  • coverage of the item in indexes and abstracts, as well as its citation frequency
  • retention of the last best copy

If you have any questions, contact the Associate University Librarian, Collections.