KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The new library on signal hill won’t be open for another two months, but staff members at the old building are already gearing up for the transition. Like any good move, the organization is looking to downsize a bit to make things easier during the transfer, and make room for new material in the new space.
Barbara Rudio is the interim director of the library and said the staff has spent the last year sorting through the library’s collection, determining what should go to the new library.
“And it’s quite a painful process. It’s not just something you go through and pick out every fifth book and decide that you don’t need it.”
She said there are a number of factors library staff members consider when deciding if a book should stay in the collection.
“It’s done partly by how much use it’s getting, they have a way to track that. How current it is, if it’s a non fiction book. If it has current and correct information. If we have too many things in one area of course we try to get that done so we have the best available in the collection and not a lot of old things.”
She said they also look at whether or not they have multiple copies of something, and how good of condition a book is in.
The literary weeding process works in the community’s favor, because now the books that didn’t make the new library cut are available for free to the public. Folks interested in browsing the discarded books can stop by the old library between now and October 17 and help themselves.
October 17 is the last day the old library will be open. It will close its doors for the last time that evening at 9 p.m., and spend the next month or so moving into the signal hill location. The new library is set to open its doors on December 9.
This means folks hoping to check out books need to do so by October 17 and won’t have to return them until December.
