Gifts-In-Kind Policy

Rod Library welcomes gifts of books, sound recordings, videos, periodicals, and other materials for the Library's collection.  Gifts supplement the Library's purchase and licensing of materials, providing items otherwise unavailable, replacing lost or worn materials, or furnishing additional copies of heavily used resources.  For information on making a monetary gift to support acquisition of materials for the Library collection, please see Giving to Rod Library.

Making A Donation

All offers to donate materials to the Library should be made by contacting the Collection Management and Special Services Department (Phone:  (319) 273-7255). During the initial contact with the donor, the size and general content of the gift, and its appropriateness for the Library collection, will be determined.  Large collections offered by a local donor may be reviewed on-site by a librarian. 

Ordinarily, the donor is responsible for arranging for delivery of any gift to the Collection Management and Special Services Department of the Library.  On-campus donations can be delivered by Physical Plant personnel.

Terms of Acceptance

Not all potential gifts of materials are appropriate for the Library's collection.  Gifts are accepted with the understanding that the addition of materials is at the discretion of the Library.  Materials that are accepted and added become the property of the Library and are subject to the policies and procedures that govern Library collections.  A Gift Donations form documents the agreement made with the donor, and any conditions associated with the gift. 

Gifts accepted by the Library ordinarily are integrated into the appropriate collection.  Gift plates, supplied by the Library, may be prepared at the donor's request.

Acknowledgement of Gifts

All gifts are acknowledged by a letter from the Dean of Library Services.  Titles received by the Library may be described or listed in the acknowledgment letter.

The library does not provide any appraisals or evaluations of gifts.  It is the donor's responsibility to assign a value for tax purposes or to have the donation independently appraised for this purpose.

Materials Generally Not Accepted

The Library does not generally accept gifts of the following materials:

• Items in poor physical condition
• Outdated or superceded titles
• Elementary and secondary textbooks
• Large-print books
• Mass market
• Audio books
• Issues of periodicals not needed to fill in gaps or complete a run

Disposal of Gifts Not Added

Gifts that are not added to the local collection may be returned to the donor on request.  Materials also may be offered to other University departments or state institutions, sold through Library book sales or discarded.

January 2006