Navigating the Thicket: Transforming Government Documents Collections Through Systematic Assessment

Government documents play a crucial role in academic research across disciplines. Over time, however, these collections can become unwieldy, leading to inefficiencies and challenges in managing and accessing relevant information. Large-scale assessment and weeding initiatives aim to address this issue by systematically evaluating document collections. This article explores the process and outcomes of such assessment and weeding efforts through a case study at the University at Buffalo Libraries’ federal depository. It delves into the challenges of a large-scale project and methodologies used to identify documents for removal, including criteria based on digital availability, usage statistics, and legal requirements. Additionally, the article discusses the results of this project, specifically information accessibility.