MobileStaff - Weeding Your Collection
About
This article covers using the MobileStaff app (or browser version) to weed your collection, a.k.a. deselecting materials.
Generating a Weeding List
To generate a weeding list, tap/click Deselect from the left-hand menu.
From the Deselect screen you can set a variety of criteria:
- Library - this defaults to your institution.
- Collection - which home location you want to focus on, if any.
- Item Types - which item type(s) you want to focus on, if any.
- Dusty Date (required) - MobileStaff will only display "dusty" items that were created, checked in, checked out, or last used before the date you select. If you choose January 1st of 2019 as your dusty date, for example, you'll only see items that were created before that date and that haven't circ-ed/been used since then. This means you won't see anything that was added, that circ-ed, or that was marked used on or since January 1st, 2019. This isn't quite the same as last activity date, which will display in your results but isn't part of the dusty date calculation.
- Maximum Circulations (required) - maximum number of circs since an item was created. If you don't want this to factor into your weeding list, enter a high number, e.g. 25000.
- Starting Call # (optional) - enter a call number here if you want to narrow your list further, e.g. you want to start in the 600s of your nonfiction collection rather than at the beginning. This field accepts partial data, so an exact call number isn't required.
- Classification - which classification scheme you're using, e.g. DEWEY, LC, etc. This defaults to All Classifications and can generally be left alone.
Once you've made your specifications, tap/click Update List.
The screenshot below has us looking at the biography section, specifically biographies that were added to the collection before May of 2018 that have circulated or been used in-house fewer than four (4) times since they were created, which could have been earlier in the spring of 2018, 2017, 2016, etc.
In addition to item info like call number, title, item ID, etc., each result on the weeding list will include:
- Idle number - this is the number of years and months since the item was created, circulated or marked as used.
- Created date
- Last Activity date
- Circulations
In the following screenshot, the item has an idle time of 3.4 years. It was created at the close of 2017 and has never circ-ed or been used. Depending on your library's collection management policy, this item may be a good candidate for weeding.
Weeding Items
As you review your list, you can tag items for discard by tapping/clicking the trash can icon.
These items will have a status of DISCARD and will be removed from the system during the next monthly discard process performed by MSC sys admins.
If your list contains more than 100 items, you'll be prompted to Apply Changes if you've deselected items or marked them missing before moving on to the next 100 items.
Marking Items Missing
If an item on your weeding list isn't on the shelf, mark the item missing by tapping/clicking the question mark icon. This will check the item out to your library's specific missing user.
For more information on MobileStaff settings, refer to MobileStaff - Installing, Logging In, and Managing Settings.
Viewing Discarded and Missing Items
Items you've tagged for discard or marked missing will appear the next day in BLUEcloud Analytics (BCA). To view them, refer to the following cataloging clean-up reports:
- DISCARD List (Keep in mind that these items will be removed from the system during the next monthly discard process performed by MSC sys admins.)
- MISSING > 3 Months List
- MISSING List
For more information on accessing these reports, refer to BCA - Catalog Clean-Up Reports.
Related Articles
MobileStaff - Inventorying Your Collection
About This article covers using the MobileStaff app (or browser version) to inventory your collection right from the stacks. Inventory Overview To inventory your collection using MobileStaff: Refer to the pre-inventory questions in WorkFlows - ...MobileStaff - Circulation Tasks
About This article covers using the MobileStaff app (or the web browser option) to perform basic circulation tasks like checking in and out, renewing items, recording in-house usage, and checking an item's status. App-Only Functionality The following ...MobileStaff - Installing, Logging In, and Managing Settings
About This article covers installing, activating, and logging into the MobileStaff app (previously known as MobileCirc), as well as adjusting default settings. Settings can be adjusted for devices, check out, deselection (weeding), ...MobileStaff - Managing Holds and the Holds Shelf
About This article covers using the MobileStaff app (or browser version) to generate a list of holds to pull (an on-shelf holds or OSH list), filling them, modifying them, and managing inactive holds already on the holds shelf. MobileStaff can't be ...WorkFlows - Inventory Guidelines
About This article contains a checklist and guidelines for you to consult to ensure that important steps and processes are taken into consideration before you begin the inventory process. Getting Started All of these items are covered in more detail ...