This document discusses socially responsible practices for withdrawing items from library collections. It outlines options for redistributing withdrawn materials in the community rather than pulping, including donating to friends groups, neighborhood distribution points, and formal redistribution programs. The San Francisco Public Library's redistribution program is highlighted, which prioritizes donations to city agencies and low-income neighborhoods, and details its operations including intake process, storage and sorting needs, and types of organizations served. Contact information is provided for questions.

1. Socially Responsible Weeding
Responsible Pathways for Withdrawn Items
CLA Annual Conference, Oakland, 2014

2. Donna Mettier, Technical Services Manager
Marin County Free Library
dmettier@marincounty.org
Evie Krebs, Librarian
San Francisco Public Library
ekrebs@sfpl.org
Jill Patterson, Branch Manager
OC Public Libraries
Jill.Patterson@occr.ocgov.com

3. Revisit our
legacy practices…

4. Re-align with community goals and sentiment
…and our governing agency’s values.

5. Intentions…

6. Goals:
• Explore best practices
• Take time to understand new community expectations
• How can we gain infrastructure to support new practices
• Have clear, realistic, and transparent Collection Management policy
on the library website

7. A more socially responsible pathway for withdrawn items:
A menu of options in order of priority
1. Communicate the pathway clearly on website
2. Lease plan books
3. Friends of the Library
1. Neighborhood redistribution points
5. Formal Community Redistribution Program (SFPL model)
6. Contract reseller
7. Last resort: post-consumer pulping service

8. SFPL’s Community Redistribution Program
How it Works
• Clients desiring donations contact our Program Manager by email or
phone
• Inform client of minimum necessary information
• How the agency will use the books
• Non profit number if necessary
• Type of materials and quantity
• Contact information
• This information is submitted on agency letterhead (& non profit #)

9. SFPL’s Community Redistribution Program
Back End - What you need
1. Well lighted work space to receive, store, sorting materials, staging
and packing.
2. Shelving and work tables, boxes, packing tape and markers, etc.
3. Off-site work space close to debris containers and accessible to
trucks for recycling & client vehicles
4. Staff- at least 2
5. Convenient hours for client selectors

10. SFPL’s Community Redistribution Program
Who We Serve
1. Top priority is given to CCSF agencies, SF Unified School District, the
jails and community agencies within SF (especially low income
neighborhoods).
2. Non profits such as YWCA, St. Vincent de Paul, pre-schools, health
clinics, neighborhood aid agencies, artist communities, Casa de Las
Madres, Glide Church and Tenderloin housing groups.
3. Overseas organizations- University of La Salle (Philippines), Drs. For
Orphans, foreign bookmobiles, foreign schools.
4. Other out of the area agencies-schools, libraries, etc.

11. SFPL’s Community Redistribution Program
Contact
Winnie Q. Duong
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415 - 557 - 4263
Email: winnie.duong@sfpl.org

13. Boxes of books
awaiting pickup
by Salvation Army

14. Books ready to be
recycled

15. Questions and Answers…
Donna Mettier, Technical Services Manager
Marin County Free Library
dmettier@marincounty.org
Evie Krebs, Librarian
San Francisco Public Library
ekrebs@sfpl.org
Jill Patterson, Branch Manager
OC Public Libraries
Jill.Patterson@occr.ocgov.com