General Collection Development Policy: Materials Donations

Thank you for considering donating your materials to the University Library System (ULS), where we are dedicated to supporting advanced research and scholarship.

With a collection of some 6 million print and 2.5 million electronic volumes, and access to millions of additional items through established subscription packages and borrowing agreements, the ULS provides services and a collection that places it within the top 25 major research libraries in the United States. Our recent analysis of books and journals offered for donation show that the ULS holds more than 80% of the titles.

The policy of the ULS is to accept only those books that we do not own and that align with current collection priorities.

We appreciate the many valuable items in our collections that have been donated over the years. To ensure that new acquisitions continue to enhance the value of our collections, we have established the following guidelines for donations. We kindly request that potential donors review this policy before offering materials, as not all donations can be accepted.

We are particularly interested in donations of unique and rare scholarly materials, especially those that align with our specialized collecting areas. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Horror Studies: works related to the study of horror in literature, film, and other media.
  • Performing Arts: with a special focus on African American performing and literary arts. We are interested in books, ephemera, and archives that showcase the contributions of African American artists in the performing and literary fields.
  • Children's Literature: rare and historically significant books, manuscripts, and illustrations related to children's literature.
  • Science and Medicine Innovation: historical and contemporary works that document advancements and breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine.
  • History and Philosophy of Science: materials, both published and archival, that explore the development and philosophical underpinnings of scientific thought and practice.
  • Urban Environments: works that examine the history, culture, and evolution of urban spaces and the challenges facing modern cities.
  • Regional and Cultural Studies: Materials related to Latin American, East Asian, Slavic, European, and Eurasian studies, with an emphasis on publications from the regions and/or in local languages, that provide unique insights into these regions.
  • Small Press Publications: We are interested in acquiring works from independent and small publishers.
  • Printed and Manuscript Material from Pre-1850: Books, pamphlets, and manuscripts produced before 1850, particularly those with historical significance or rarity.

Given our already extensive collection of general scholarly works, we are unable to accept the following:

  • General English-Language Scholarly Books: Due to space and resource limitations, we cannot accept donations of books that are already widely available in academic libraries or that duplicate existing holdings.
  • With certain exceptions, such as early 20th century imprints, we will not accept commercially published English language monographs.
  • Popular works and superseded editions of textbooks: This includes popular fiction and other materials not aligned with our research focus.
  • Periodicals: We are unable to accept journals, magazines, or serial publications, unless part of a unique archival collection.
  • Photocopies of books, journal articles or reprints of journal articles.
  • Heavily damaged and/or moldy books.

If you believe your materials align with our areas of interest, please contact us prior to sending or delivering any items. To facilitate a thorough review process, we request that potential donors provide a description of the materials, including:

  • Titles or descriptions of the works
  • Date of publication or creation
  • Condition and format (e.g., books, manuscripts, archives)
  • Any additional information about the rarity, provenance, or scholarly significance of the materials
  • If you have previously consulted with a ULS staff member on your potential donation, please provide their name.

Please Note: only the AUL for Collections, the AUL for Archives and Special Collections, and the University Librarian are authorized to approve the official acceptance of donations.

Our staff will review your proposal and determine if the materials are a good fit for our collection. Prospective donors will be contacted with the list of titles we are interested in accepting and next steps. For larger donations, we may need to view the collection in situ before accepting it. Please note that the library generally does not cover shipping costs.

Please note: all accepted donations become the property of the ULS and may be retained, deaccessioned, or disposed of at the discretion of the library.

For inquiries or to discuss a potential donation, please contact Ed Galloway, Associate University Librarian for Archives and Special Collections, for donations of rare or archival materials and Berenika Webster, Associate University Librarian for Collections, for general collections.

While we deeply appreciate the generosity of our donors, the library cannot provide appraisals or valuations of donated materials for tax purposes. We recommend consulting with a qualified appraiser for any tax-related inquiries regarding your donation. We do provide donors with an acknowledgement letter.

For donors with general scholarly books or other materials that fall outside the scope of our collection needs, we encourage you to consider Better World Books. Better World Books is a socially responsible organization that accepts book donations and uses the proceeds to fund literacy initiatives and support libraries and educational programs around the world. Donating to them is a great way to ensure that your books find new homes where they can continue to make a difference. For more information on how to donate to Better World Books, please visit https://www.betterworldbooks.com/go/donate.