College libraries are always evolving, so keen-eyed visitors at Colorado State University’s Morgan Library may notice a few changes over the next year. To make up-to-date information easier to find, library workers will be relocating parts of the book collection and removing outdated or damaged books.

The majority of books at Morgan Library are academic, nonfiction works that support student, faculty and community researchers. As our understanding of the world grows, researchers and scholars write new books to share the latest information and the Libraries adds them its collection of materials for researchers.

Outdated or inaccurate information in some subject areas, like business, can be misleading, while in other subject areas, like health and medicine, it can even be dangerous. Too many outdated books on a library shelf can also create a physical barrier for researchers by making more relevant information harder to find.

To make sure students and researchers have access to the most up-to-date, relevant information, CSU Libraries employees have been undertaking an ambitious project, systematically reviewing 300,000 square feet of spaces and materials to make sure every square foot enhances learning.

When books are removed from the library because they’re damaged, outdated or no longer relevant to the CSU curriculum, the Libraries follows professional standards to transfer, recycle or dispose of them.

Criteria for removing materials are based on professional academic library guidelines and research area needs. For example, some research areas require access to historical data or information, so those sources would need to be kept at the library longer. Other research areas, like veterinary surgery, rely heavily on the latest research and studies, with less need for older materials.

The Libraries expects minimal to no impact on users’ ability to use the library or get materials.