These guidelines apply to the discarding of withdrawn physical library materials from the main collection, as well as donated materials that are not added to the collection. They do not apply to special collections, archival holdings, maps, aerial photography, and government publications.
The guidelines do not provide guidance for deselection of library materials.
Any questions regarding the guidelines should be directed to the Scholarly Resources Librarian.
Guiding principles
The following principles apply to all discard decisions and processes:
- The environmental impact of disposal should be minimized. Wherever possible, withdrawn materials should be made available for further use through donation or sale, or should be recycled.
- Discard of library materials should be carried out in ways that minimize the risk of damage to the library’s reputation.
- Disposal of last copies amongst OCUL libraries (see Thunder Bay Last Copy Agreement) in a state of irreparable damage or deterioration must be authorized by the Scholarly Resources Librarian.
- Disposal of items that may fall within the boundaries of Trent Special Collections should be reviewed by the University Archivist and Head, Special Collections for possible transfer into Special Collections.
- Disposal of rare or unique materials should be done in consultation by the University Archivist and Head, Special Collections, and in the case of high-value items, ratified by the University Librarian.
Damaged or deteriorated materials
Withdrawn items that are in poor physical condition should be disposed of. Items with minor highlighting and marking are not considered damaged.
Wherever possible, damaged items should be recycled, and only directed to the landfill when recycling is not possible. In the case of large volumes of damaged material, further arrangements for recycling or garbage disposal may be required.
Print materials
Print materials include monographs, serials, and annuals. Withdrawn print items in useable condition should be considered for the following pathways in order:
Better World Books (BWB)
Items in acceptable physical condition are checked against BWB criteria and shipped at their cost. This is the preferred first option for useable print materials.
Internet Archive (IA)
Items not accepted by BWB but in scannable condition are checked against the IA deduplication tool. Items wanted by IA are boxed for shipment.
Free shelf
Titles remaining after the above options have been considered are placed on each library’s free shelf;
- Bata: low shelves on first floor around the corner from the elevator
- Durham: spinner outside of library doors
Items remaining on the free shelf for more than three months are removed and recycled.
Non-print materials
Non-print materials are processed as follows:
Audio-visual media
Audio-visual materials such as DVDs and audio CDs may be added to the free shelf. Unused items on the free shelf can be donated to the public library. Obsolete formats, such as VHS and audio cassettes should be disposed of in the garbage.
Microforms
As microforms tend to contain historical publications and documents, they should be offered to other library and archives that may have interest in them. If they are not accepted, they can be disposed of in the garbage.
Public domain items
Some collections of public domain materials may be considered for digitization and donation to HathiTrust. Withdrawn public domain materials will be reviewed periodically by the Digital Scholarship Librarian.