Subject: Policy for Withdrawn Materials

Purpose: To define categories of withdrawn materials and establish policies for their withdrawal and reinstatement from all LSU Libraries units excepting Special Collections.


DEFINITIONS

Withdrawn Materials are items permanently removed from the collection.

Damaged Materials are those items that are destroyed or so mutilated as to be unusable or beyond repair.

Lost Items are those that are charged to a user but not returned.

Missing Materials are those which cannot be found on the shelves but are not charged to a patron.

Not wanted is the designation for materials which are discarded as part of a collection management program, such as duplicate copies, outdated or superseded items, or lease returns.

POLICY

In accordance with state and University guidelines, the Associate Dean for Collection Services will bear or delegate the responsibility for withdrawing or discarding materials for all LSU Libraries units excepting Special Collections. Normally subject liaisons will be responsible for deciding that an item is NOT WANTED.

Materials in all formats are declared WITHDRAWN from the LSU Libraries when they:

• are so damaged to be unusable;
• are judged to be lost or missing for an extended period of time; or
• have been discarded as NOT WANTED

Withdrawn materials will be discarded. The catalog record should remain in the online catalog in suppressed mode to allow for the item's reinstatement should it be found.

In special circumstances withdrawn materials may be given to public or to other state institution libraries. State of Louisiana policies prohibit the giving of withdrawn materials to individuals. Each department involved in the identification and processing of items to be withdrawn should maintain written procedures in the areas of its responsibility.