The Heads of Research and Circulation Services will determine whether a prospective donation meets the library’s collection development policy in consultation with local library directors. Occasionally, the library may accept a prestigious gift due to its rarity or uniqueness. The Heads of Research and Circulation Services and the library directors may recommend that the benefactor redirect the intended gift to another institution with more appropriate holdings. Donations must be offered without restrictions and become the library’s unconditional property.
Donations are gratefully acknowledged in writing upon request. We do not provide appraisals of gifts or donations. The libraries do not appraise or provide value for any donation. We can only supply a volume count of donated materials if asked.
Not all materials that are donated will be added to the collection.
What we do not accept
While we consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis, we typically do not accept donations of the following materials that fall outside our collection scope:
- Materials lacking research value, such as textbooks, how-to manuals, directories, and catalogs
- Materials in poor physical condition that require extensive conservation treatment
- Materials requiring copyright permissions we cannot obtain
- Materials containing sensitive personal information we cannot appropriately redact
- Everyday items easily found elsewhere, such as newspapers and commercially produced handouts
- Materials with restrictions or conditions we cannot accommodate
- Electronic records in proprietary digital formats we cannot migrate or provide access to
- Digital materials requiring server space or technology we do not have
- Artifacts and objects better suited for museum collections
Digital and Multimedia Resources
The library considers donations containing e-copies and born-digital resources alongside or instead of physical materials. These resources can include documents, photos, videos, audio recordings, and other digital formats.
Our librarians evaluate and process electronic formats using the same criteria as physical donations. The library uses the Digital Commons, a digital repository system, to preserve and provide long-term access.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/