Library weeding

UCU's tagline is that it is the "centre of excellence in the heart of Africa."  One example of this is the Ham Mukasa Library, the huge building just up from the main gate, and where students flock to find resources for their courseworks.

However, the theology students are remaining with what was called the "old library," and I am trying to refer to it as the "theology library" in hopes of changing the perception that it is old, and therefore, of little value.  The building is old, that is true, and many of the volumes are also old, but theology has a library all to herself.  It is small, quiet, and other students use it as well.  All bachelor's students must take the five courses in Foundation Studies, which include Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to the New Testament, so the theology library gets plenty of use, even when we are off-session.

Since we are off-session, and since many of the volumes are old, and take up space (which precludes obtaining new volumes), one of the professors and I have been working with the theology library staff to weed out these old books.  We are being quite generous, and are automatically keeping volumes published since 1995, though we'd clearly prefer to be firmly in this century.  Professor and I then go through the pre-1995 volumes to determine which ones we want to retain, which to archive, and which go to the regional colleges.  They are getting the books of which we have copious numbers, and they are getting quite a load.

This is how one table looked at the beginning of our weeding:

Yes.  That is what we had to weed through from about five of those bookshelves (I couldn't get the entire bookcase in the frame).  

I am thrilled that we are doing this - it is long, long overdue.  Because of this, it's taking up much more time than we anticipated, but we are hoping and praying that by the time the theology students return in January, they will find a newly sorted library, with plenty of space to be filled with new acquisitions.