Yale University Library Collection Development Council

Acceptance of Gifts for the General Collections

Draft (September 1997)

Yale University Library welcomes gifts of books, periodicals, and other materials from faculty, alumni, and friends. Wherever possible gifts for the general circulating collections are accepted without special terms regarding their retention, processing, and disposition. Once donated and acknowledged appropriately, gifts become the property of Yale University. Upon request, potential donors will be provided a list of individuals who appraise library materials. Regulations of the Internal Revenue Service prohibit the library from providing donors with estimates of worth or value. Gifts accepted for potential inclusion in the library's collections are reviewed by appropriate collection development officers. Ordinarily, only some small portion of gifts received are added to the collections to fill gaps in the holdings or to replace worn copies. Gifts not accepted for the collections are disposed of according to accepted library procedures. (cf. "Disposition of Unneeded Library Materials", April 18, 1997, rev. September 1997))

Categories of Gifts

Loose gifts. One or up to ten discrete items received by the library without solicitation and without special processing arrangements. Except in clearly documented cases, the library has no obligation to accept loose gifts into the collection. The library may process loose gifts immediately and may acknowledge such gifts before or after processing.

Bulk gifts. Multiple items received from a single donor in a quantity sufficient to warrant handling as a group. Bulk gifts may or may not pertain to a single subject area. Bulk gifts may or may not be accepted as a group into the library's general collections and will be acknowledged collectively. For bulk gifts with an appraised value of $5000 or higher, items not selected for the library must be held for two years before disposal.

Special gifts. Multiple items received at once or over time with special processing conditions arranged between the donor and the library. Special gifts may or may not pertain to a single subject area. When arranged by the donor in advance of receipt, the library may assist the donor in obtaining an appraisal of monetary value. Depending upon the needs of the donor, special gifts may be acknowledged individually upon receipt or upon the completion of processing by library staff. The terms governing the processing of special gifts are documented through internal memoranda exchanged between the responsible selector and the Associate University Librarian for Collection Development and Management.

Responsibility for Acceptance

The Associate University Librarian for Collection Development and Management is responsible for approving the acceptance of gifts for the general collections and may delegate this authority as appropriate. The acceptance of all gifts with special restrictions on processing or use must be approved in advance. Selectors, curators, and department heads may negotiate with potential donors for gifts to the general collections.

It is the policy of the Yale University Library that any gift worth accepting is worth documenting. Library staff who accept gifts of library materials for potential inclusion in the collections must prepare a complete and accurate description of the collection and document the terms governing the acceptance, processing, or disposition of the materials. The attached form, "Gift/Deposit Authorization and Processing Form", outlines the minimum information needed. This information should be conveyed to processing units on this form, carrying the signature of the Associate University Librarian for Collection Development and Management.

Acknowledging and Reporting Gifts

Prompt acknowledgment of gifts to the library is an important courtesy to the donor. Unless specifically excepted, all gifts to the general library collections are acknowledged by the University Librarian. Gifts to school and department libraries are acknowledged by unit heads. The Chief Acquisitions Librarian is responsible for maintaining the official gift files, for coordinating gift acknowledgments, and for facilitating the announcement of significant gifts and important donors in the Yale University Library Gazette for materials which are processed by the Acquisitions Department . Procedures for this are outlined in the Acquisitions Department's departmental procedures document, "Gifts to the Library General Collections : Guidelines for Processing."

Loose gifts generally are accepted without acknowledgment. If a loose gift arrives with a personal letter or card, an acknowledgment form letter should be prepared promptly for the signature of the University Librarian. Donors of bulk gifts for the collection should be acknowledged promptly, although little effort should be expended on itemizing the collection prior to processing. If a selector requests an acknowledgment to a particular institution when no letter would ordinarily be sent, the selector should specify to whom the acknowledgment should be sent. If a donor of a special gift requires an itemized list for all the titles given in a particular shipment, the library may provide a list of titles of material added to Yale's collections only after the entire gift has been received and processed.

September 1997

last updated: May 2000

Send comments to ann.okerson@yale.edu