How MUSTIE helps a middle school library trim its shelves

As the principal of Boundary County Middle School, I had the opportunity to attend a training put on by the Idaho Commission for Libraries. The training was required as part of a $5,000 grant awarded to our school library earlier in the year. During the training, I learned about two protocols followed by librarians around the world. One of the protocols gives librarians guidance in removing or “weeding” books. Librarians use MUSTIE, a clever acronym, to guide their decisions on removing books from our libraries.

MUSTIE stands for Misleading, Ugly, Superseded, Trivial, Irrelevant, and Elsewhere. We use this protocol to ensure Boundary County Middle School’s collection remains accurate, fresh, relevant and informative. Let's take a closer look at how this protocol is helping our very own middle school library curate its collection.

The M in MUSTIE stands for Misleading and Factually Inaccurate. The accuracy of our information is paramount. For example, outdated non-fiction books that incorrectly identify Pluto as the ninth planet or claim atoms are the smallest known particles, are identified and removed. The U in MUSTIE stands for Ugly. If you’ll excuse the pun, books have a shelf life. The pages yellow, the covers fall off, and a host of other unfortunate things can happen to a book making it unsuitable or just plain ugly. Ugly unserviceable books do not get checked out and should be weeded. S stands for Superseded. Books are often updated with new information in new editions. In some cases, a much better book than the one currently in the library has been released. The T in MUSTIE stands for Trivial. It’s the idea that the book has no real merit. An example of this might be the Guinness Book of World Records from 1973. With limited shelf space, there is no room for trivial material. The I in MUSTIE stands for Irrelevant. If a book has lost its interest to students, if it no longer meets their needs, it can be said to be irrelevant. This includes books that haven’t been checked out in years. Finally, the E in MUSTIE stands for Elsewhere. If the book can easily be found elsewhere, it may not be needed in the library. A good example of this might be books that are in the public domain and legally available online.

By following the MUSTIE protocol, our middle school library is rejuvenating itself, ensuring that its shelves are filled with resources that engage, inform, educate and inspire. Students can now explore the world of knowledge with confidence, knowing that the materials they find are reliable, up-to-date and relevant to their educational journey.

Mark Fisk is the principal at Boundary County Middle School.