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Permalink Reply by Chitralekha on February 12, 2017 at 18:49

Hello Hrudayananda Padhan.

The term Weeding includes both the following practices.

Withdrawn : means "Removed or taken away (something) from a particular place or position". Here books or other library collection (items) remain in the library records but are not available to the library readers/ users/ clientèle. They may have been removed for the time being (e.g. for binding / repairing, etc.) and then later occupies its original place again. Some of the items are withdrawn as they are rarely used and occupy space in the stack. To make space for newer items these are withdrawn from regular location and are stored at different location where library users don't have access to them. A withdrawn book/ item can become "unwithdrawn" i.e. regular. A librarian may decide which books/ items to be withdrawn / unwithdrawn.

But this is not the case with written-off books/ items.

Written-off: means removed not only from its regular place but also from the library collection record PERMANENTLY.  Once written off it will never be again a part of library collection. It will no more be library asset. The reasons to write-off may include - damaged to the extent it cannot be repaired, lost, gone missing for a very long time, books which are out of syllabus and are available in multiple numbers (in such cases a single copy is kept for reference purpose and rest are written off), etc. A librarian alone cannot write-off books/ items. There has to be a written and approved policy for writting-off library items. Librarian has to follow the guidelines and procedure given the "weeding policy".  These policies are approved by library committee, the institute authorities including Finance in-charge. A proper document of written-off items is prepared and are duly signed by these authorities.

Regards.

Chitralekha

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Permalink Reply by Hrudayananda Padhan on February 12, 2017 at 20:59

Thank you madam
To give me idea about Withdrawn and Write off
Another Problem i am facing in libsys software that when we are doing write off first day the data will show write off but in the second day changing to withdrawn what is the reason madam kindly give me the solution

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Permalink Reply by Chitralekha on February 12, 2017 at 21:45

This is a software problem. You should report this bug to the software developer and ask them to resolve.

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on February 14, 2017 at 1:18

Dear Madam,

I beg to differ from your post.

We have arrangements from some Corporate & Foreign Diplomatic Mission Libraries where from we get "DISCARDED" books on regular basis. All the books bear the stamp "Withdrawn from ...... Library" .  

As I personally feel "Writing off" books is a process where Finance & Accounts & especially Audit are concerned to keep the accounts transparent. Practically speaking most of the "Written Off" books are lost books while Withdrawn Books are those which are no longer required for the particular Library (we regularly get International WHO's WHO & World of Learning after a year from a Corporate Library)

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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Permalink Reply by Chitralekha on February 14, 2017 at 18:54

Respected Siddhartha Ray Sir,

Thank you for improving my knowledge about "Written off" status of the books.

When I said "Once written off it will never be again a part of library collection", I meant by the library from which it has been written off. As you rightly pointed out it may become a part of collection of another library.

Thanks again and regards.

Chitralekha.

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Permalink Reply by Urvashi kaushik on January 21, 2025 at 21:14

Can the accession number of that write off book can be used for new collection 

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Permalink Reply by ajay kumar parashar on February 13, 2017 at 0:15

good information madam .
thanks

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