(office pictured is a stunt office, via Creative Commons)
After years in the same office, debris accumulates. Every many months to a year, something catalyzes reviewing things to see if what is kept is still useful. This week it's time for new equipment in the library. I spent some time today putting away equipment and other odds and ends so the tech folk can get in and around my desk more easily. This dominoed to reviewing my personal reference selection. The casualties of appraisal this time: tech books. I do not need -- nor does anyone else need -- an O'Reilly website design book from 1999. This said with the caveat that it could be kept for historical purposes, however, I will not be the keeper of said history. I have my limits on collection policy, after all. There were also several guides that were between 7-9 years old and for software we have not used in a long time.
The moral of the story is: not just archivists appraise. Everyone needs to do this sort of thing from time to time lest they get crushed by old Dreamweaver manuals or back issues of Lands End catalogs.
-Jessica
great blog, i have added you to my bookmarks and will be checking up from time to time.
Posted by: upvc windows | August 30, 2010 at 10:18 AM