Giving Opportunities

Book and Material Donations

The library appreciates donations made to enrich our collections in order to support the scholarly teaching and research at the university. 

Overview of Criteria for Inclusion of Gifts

• Gifts should be relevant to the library's mission to support the teaching and research programs of the university and will be evaluated in accordance with criteria consistent with the Library Collection Development Policy. 

• Donors are not allowed to place special restrictions on the use or disposal of the gifts. The university becomes the owner of all donated materials and, as such, reserves the right to determine its access, retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to its use, maintenance, or removal. 

• Material must be in good condition. Paperbacks or hardcovers that are musty, falling apart, missing pages, have yellowed paper, or extensively marked up, are rejected. Books with mold and mildew are rejected outright. 

• Donations of journals and serials are rarely added to the collection.

• Audiovisual material may be considered if it is in good condition. DVDs and CDs accepted for review; VHS, LP's and cassettes tapes are not.

• Duplicates of materials already in the collection are generally rejected. 

Types of Donations that are Generally Considered Inappropriate 

• Materials that are not in good physical condition, e.g., contain mold or mildew, stains, water damage or are in any way impaired in a manner that results in limited or restricted use. 
  

• Materials that require significant restoration or conservation or unique storage, unless accompanied by appropriate funding.

• Textbooks.

• Popular trade paperbacks. 

• Single issues of  journals/serials or broken runs of bound journals/serials unless they fill gaps in our current collection.

• Photo copies/facsimiles of original materials. 

• Outdated, superseded titles.

• Outdated media formats such as VHS, LP's, cassettes, etc. 

While gifts are free in the sense that the library doesn't have to pay for them, there are processing costs involved. Cataloging, labeling, and ongoing space commitments are just a few of the costs involved for library materials.  

General Donation Guidelines 

• Gifts delivered without prior arrangement or contact with the Head of Collections will not be accepted or acknowledged. Potential donors of materials should contact Maureen Olle-LaJoie at 715-425-3799 or by e-mail at maureen.olle-lajoie@uwrf.edu.

• For large donations, a list of titles must be submitted for review before delivery. For large collections, an onsite visit by a librarian may be arranged. 

• Donations of archival material (examples include personal records, personal papers, photographs, film, and artifacts) should be directed to Kathryn Otto, Areas Research Center and University Archives at 715-425-3530 or by e-mail at kathryn.otto@uwrf.edu.

• Delivery of gifts is the responsibility of the donor.
  

Acknowledgements

A letter of acknowledgement is sent by request.  The letter will acknowledge the number of volumes donated.  If a more detailed listing is required the donor will need to provide an itemized list.

Donations and Tax Benefits

The library does not appraise gifts.  Donors can find appraisers at the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America, the American Booksellers Association or the American Society of Appraisers.    For more information consult a tax advisor or the IRS website.

Financial Donations

Monetary donations to the Chalmer Davee Library Endowment Fund can be an excellent way to support our collections as well as the services and facilities of the libraries.