Withdrawn: means “Removed or taken away (something) from a particular place or position“. Here books or other library collections (items) remain in the library records but are not available to the library readers/ users/ clientèle. They may have been removed for the time being (e.g. for binding/repairing, etc.) and then later occupies their original place again. Some of the items are withdrawn as they are rarely used and occupy space in the stack. To make space for newer items these are withdrawn from regular location and are stored at a different location where library users don’t have access to them. A withdrawn book/ item can become “unwithdrawn” i.e. regular. A librarian may decide which books/ items to be withdrawn/unwithdrawn.
But this is not the case with written-off books/ items.
Written-off: means removed not only from its regular place but also from the library collection record PERMANENTLY. Once written off it will never be again a part of the library collection. It will no more be a library asset. The reasons to write-off may include – damaged to the extent it cannot be repaired, lost, gone missing for a very long time, books which are out of syllabus and are available in multiple numbers (in such cases a single copy is kept for reference purpose and rest are written off), etc. A librarian alone cannot write-off books/ items. There has to be a written and approved policy for writing-off library items. Librarian has to follow the guidelines and procedure given the “weeding policy”. These policies are approved by the library committee, the institute authorities including Finance in-charge. A proper document of written-off items is prepared and is duly signed by these authorities.
