Gifts and Donations

Page update in progress (lkg 08-12-2011)

Gifts of books, manuscripts and similar materials are valued additions to the Libraries. If some of the gifts are duplicates of works already in the collection, they may be offered to another library or put in the Library book sale or discarded.Those wishing to make arrangement to donate materials should contact the Gifts and Exchange Specialist. Items can be brought to the department, circulations or to the loading dock during regular business hours.

Step-By-Step Procedures for the University Libraries Gift and Exchange Specialist

I. Gifts-General

A. Receiving
1.  Have donor sign and fill out the donor statement.
2.  Send the acknowledgement letter and the yellow copy of the donor statement to the donor through the mail. Add number of items received to the monthly report.

B.  Processing
1.  Search each donated item in the library catalog to determine whether or not the library system already has a copy of any of the items donated in one of the collections. If the item or a previous edition of the item is already in one of the collections, make a note of it and put it into the front of the book.

a. All items already held anywhere in the library system is reviewed by the collection development coordinator or librarian.
b.  All items not already held in the library system proceed to step 2.

2.  All item not held in the library system are to be reviewed the collection development librarian to see is the item is to be added.

C. Finalizing
1. Once all processing is done, count how many items there are and keep a count for your monthly report.
2. They are ready to be cataloged if items are to be added to collection.

II. Gifts-Serial Subscriptions

A. If the library does not already pay for a subscription to the title being donated, then do a donor statement and acknowledgement letter.
B. If the library does already pay for a subscription to the title being donated, then do a donor statement and an acknowledgement letter.
C.    Before adding a gift subscription, make sure that the donor intends to continue that subscription indefinitely. This does not have to mean forever, but for more than just a year of two.
D.    Whenever a gift subscription is added or terminate, make record of that for the monthly report.

III. Exchanges

A. Proposing-If serials receives a journal from another institution that is not one of the library's active subscriptions and it looks like it would make for a good exchange, send the proposal letter to the other institution to see if an exchange agreement can be made. If a response is received and an exchange is agreeable, then set it up.
B. Setting up an Exchange-To set up an exchange, add title to gift and exchange list. Notify the Southern Quarterly editorial assistance to add the exchange to their list. Give the serial title to the serials unit supervisor.
C. If another institution proposes an exchange and it is accepted, then send the other institution a letter accepting the exchange and set it up.
D. As with gift subscriptions, whenever an exchange is set up or terminated, make record of it for the monthly report.

IV. Discards

A. Put discarded items into boxes and take them to the dumpsters.