Weeding your collection

Destiny has a number of lists and reports that can help you find and evaluate materials that need to be—or have been—discarded.

I need a list of materials that haven't circulated in a long time.

I need a list of materials that have recently been checked out.

I need a list of materials with old publication dates.

Where can I see a particular copy's statistics?

How do I generate a Weeding Log?

To find materials in a section of your collection that have not circulated in the past few years

To find materials limited and listed by Call number prefix or Dewey number

  1. Open the Library or Media page of Reports and select Collection Statistics - Historical.
  2. Next to Circulations, enter a date range, such as From 01/01/2008 to <today's date>.
  3. Select Show "Title & Copy Details".
  4. Depending on the section of the library you're working on, choose to organize (sort) the list by "Call number prefix" or "Dewey".
    This option affects only materials with call numbers containing both a prefix and a Dewey Decimal number (for example, REF 423 MER).
    Select "Dewey" from the Organized by list to ignore the prefixes.
    Select "Call number prefix" to sort by the prefix.
  5. To limit the report to a certain segment of your collection, enter a call number range.
  6. Select the Only show copies that circulated check box.
  7. From the list, select "Less than" and enter the number of circulations that you consider your minimum.
  8. Click Run Report.

To find materials limited and listed by Title, Circulation Type, Category, Date Copies Added, Date Title Added, or Date Title Updated

Please note that this report is much longer than the Collection Statistics (above), but it does include total numbers.

  1. Open the Library or Media page of Reports and select Title & Copy List.
  2. Select the way you want the materials listed, and enter or select the range of those.
  3. Choose Show Titles "With all copies".
  4. Select the Circulation statistics check box that appears.
  5. Select the Only show copies that circulated check box that appears.
  6. From the list, select "Less than" and enter the number of circulations that you consider your minimum.
  7. Select the time period: "This [calendar] month"; "This [statistical] year"; or "Total" (since you installed Destiny).
  8. Click Run Report.

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To find materials that have recently been checked out

Follow the general instructions for the Collection Statistics - Historical (above). Make the following changes:

In step 2, enter a date range, such as From <three months ago> to <today's date>.

In step 7, select "More than" and enter 1 or 2, whatever you consider your minimum.

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To find materials in a section of your collection with old publication dates

  1. Open the Power tab of Library Search or Media Search in the Catalog.
  2. Select "Subject" from the first list.
  3. In the adjacent search box, enter the subject for the section of the library you're working on.
  4. If desired, further refine your search.
  5. Adjacent to Publication Year under Limit your search for titles…, select "Before the Year" and enter an appropriate year.
    Examples:
    Enter "computers" in Subject and "2007" for the year.
    Enter "geology" in Subject and "2002" as the year.
  6. Click Search.

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To review the circulation history of a particular copy

Open the Copy Status page in Circulation and retrieve the copy.

To view the current (if any) and previous checkout date, scroll down to the Current Checkout and Previous Checkout sections. Beneath that are the copy's circulation statistics.

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