The CREW

The CREW Method: CREW is an acronym for Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding.

The CREW Method considers weeding to be a necessary part in the flow of the collection building process. This process is described as a continuous one going from selection and acquisition, to cataloging and processing, to circulation and reference, to CREW and back to selection in a never ending circle with each stage smoothly succeeding into the next. All stages, including weeding, are "a vital part of good library service" (Segal 1980:3).

CREW identifies six benefits of weeding - save space, save time, make the library more appealing, enhance the reputation of the collection, provide a continuous check, and provide continuous feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the collection. The CREW Method emphasizes that weeding needs to be included in the regular yearly work schedule.

The CREW FormulaThe CREW Method has a weeding formula consisting of three parts: 1) The first figure refers to the years since the book's latest copyright date (age of material in the book); 2) the second figure refers to the maximum permissible time without usage (in terms of years since since its last recorded circulation); 3) the third refers to the presence of various negative factors, called MUSTIE factors (Boon, 1995:31).

MUSTIE is an acronym for the negative factors which help identify materials to be weeded.
M = Misleading (and/or factually inaccurate) U = Ugly (worn and beyond mending or binding) S = Superseded (by a new edition or a better source on the subject) T = Trivial (of no literary or scientific merit) I = Irrelevant (to the needs of the community) E = Elsewhere (found elsewhere in the library or available through interlibrary loan)