Weeding Print Serials with Digital Duplicates

• Timeline: Expected completion by end of September
• Point of contact: Roger Reka, Librarian and Acting Head, Collections & Licensing Services 
• Status: Ongoing

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Leddy Library will initiate a weeding project focused on the print serials collection, particularly those housed in Leddy Library West. The goal of this project is to responsibly withdraw print materials where the library holds reliable, long-term electronic access to the identical content. This process will ensure no loss of access to content, while creating adequate space for print serials that do not meet this criterion.

This work is part of a broader effort to modernize and maintain a sustainable, accessible, and relevant library collection that reflects the evolving needs of our campus community. 

Why Are We Doing This? 

Leddy Library West is currently facing significant space constraints. The serials section has reached capacity, and the high-density compact shelving is at end-of-life and at risk of mechanical failure. At the same time, the north side of the first floor is slated for renovation, providing an opportunity to enhance the overall look and usability of our collections and spaces. 

By carefully weeding print serials that are duplicated electronically and preserved in trusted digital repositories, we can free up space, reduce redundancy, and support long-term stewardship of our physical and digital collections. 

What’s Our Approach? 

We are following a phased and methodical process, grounded in our collection policy and best practices in academic libraries. Our goals are to: 

• Identify and withdraw bound print serials that are duplicated by our electronic holdings. 
• Ensure those electronic holdings include perpetual access rights and are preserved in a Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR), such as Scholars Portal or LOCKSS. 
• Retain print titles that are not held at other Ontario universities, valuable, or not sufficiently preserved in digital form. 

Our Process at a Glance: 

1. Identify eligible electronic collections: review our license agreements to identify journal backfiles with perpetual access rights, and archiving in a Trustworthy Digital Repository for long-term preservation 
2. Match print and electronic titles: Identify print titles and specific volumes that are fully duplicated by these electronic collections 
3. Title-by-title review: librarians review edge cases and apply additional exclusion criteria to ensure titles are withdrawn responsibly 
4. Final processing and removal: eligible titles are withdrawn from the catalogue, items removed from the shelves and responsibly disposed of. 

Quick facts 

• The Leddy Library has more than 27,981 physical serial titles accounting for more than 366,812 physical items (i.e., bound volumes) – the sixth largest amongst Ontario’s universities 
• We’ve identified 422 physical serial titles with 11,741 duplicated items, amounting to ~3.2% of our print serials (roughly 45 shelf units or 5 short ranges) 

Questions or feedback? 

We’re committed to transparency and invite campus engagement throughout this project. If you have questions or would like to know more, please contact Roger Reka.