K-State Libraries - Collection Management

Donation of Materials to K-State Libraries

Gifts for the Libraries' General Collections

POLICIES

The Libraries accept gifts of materials that will be useful to Libraries users and that will strengthen the collections. Individuals wishing to make donations should contact the Acquistions Librarian (Adam Wathen, 785-532-7724; ( ), who will explain gift policies/procedures to the prospective donor, especially IRS requirements for charitable contribution over $5,000.

The Libraries will not accept materials that are in poor physical condition, although exceptions may be made for rare or unique items. The Libraries generally do not accept newspapers, encyclopedias, National Geographic publicatons, and Reader's Digest materials.

The Libraries adhere to the guidelines established by copyright laws and conventions. As a result, the Libraries will not accept photocopies, video copies, or audio copies of copyrighted material without written permission from the copyright holder or documentation of sustained effort to contact the copyright holder. Such documentation must accompany item through the acquisition and cataloging process.

When a gift is accepted it becomes the property of the Libraries. Libraries staff will determine whether the gift will be retained, where it will be located, and how it will be cataloged or circulated. Materials not added to the K-State collections (e.g. duplicates of materials already owned) will be disposed of at the discretion of the Libraries.

In certain circumstances a gift may be accepted as a "named collection." A named collection must have a definable subject emphasis and be of significant size and quality. In such instances a searchable note will be placed in the Libraries' online catalog records.

Individuals wishing to give monetary gifts for the purchase of materials should contact the Dean of Libraries (785-532-7492,
)

THE PROCESS

The donor or library staff may arrange for examination of the offered materials prior to acceptance and delivery to the Libraries.

The donor is usually responsible for delivery of gift items to the Libraries. However, assistance can be provided for especially large or valuable donations.

Gifts will be acknowledged at the donor’s request. The acknowledgment letter will indicate the number of items donated unless the collection is valued at $5,000 or more in which case the letter will include an itemization of the titles included in the gift.

Donors wishing to deduct donated items valued in excess of $5,000 as charitable contributions need to submit the following documents to the IRS:
- IRS Form 8283 "Non-Cash Charitable Contributions" signed by the Dean of Libraries.
- A written appraisal of the gift prepared by a qualitifed appraiser as defined in the Internal Revenue Service Publication 561 "Determining the Value of Donated Property." This is the responsibility of the donor. As an interested party the Library cannot conduct appraisals, but can provide a list of local qualitifed appraiser.
- An acknowledgement letter from K-State Libraries.
For appraised gifts, the Libraries will complete the KSU Foundation "Gift-in-Kind Donation Form" and submit to KSU Foundation.

Gifts for Special Collections and University Archives/Manuscripts

The Rare Books unit accepts rare books associated with designated collection areas. Collections may be given a distinctive name such as “The Fred H. and Jeannette Higginson Robert Graves Collection” which appears as a special note in the catalog record for each item. Materials not appropriate for Rare Books will be processed for the general collection.

Collections of manuscripts, or personal papers (letters, photographs, etc.), that are associated with specific collection areas, or the academic programs and research strengths of K-State, are accepted by University Archives and Manuscripts. The acquisition of official university records by the University Archives is covered in Chapter 3090 (Retention of Records) in the K-State Policy and Procedures Manual.

Generally, the policies stated in this document regarding valuation, appraisal, location and special arrangements also apply to gifts donated to the Special Collections Department. Gifts of rare books and manuscripts are officially acknowledged and an itemized list of the donated titles and a detailed summary of the manuscripts are provided to the donor upon request. In the case of manuscript materials, a donor is also sent a copy of a “Deed of Gift” to sign.

Donors are encouraged to coordinate the donation of rare books and manuscripts with Roger Adams, the Rare Books Librarian (785-532-7455; e-mail: ) or Anthony Crawford, University Archivist/Curator of Manuscripts (785-532-7456; e-mail: ).

Giving Journals to K-State Libraries

K-State Libraries offer the following options for people wishing to donate journal subscriptions to the Libraries:

At the donor's request, the Libraries will order the journal. It will be shipped directly to the Libraries, which will also handle all claiming and other associated business as necessary. The invoice will be sent to the donor for payment. If the journal charges different rates for individuals and libraries, the donor may be billed at the highter library rate. Arrangements may be made with the Head of the Cataloging & Serials Department, Char Simser ; 785-532-7444).

The donor may subscribe, receive and maintain the subscription and then give the issues to the Libraries, either as they are received or when the volumes are complete. Donations of larger collections of journal back issues will also be considered at any time. In all instances, complete volumes are preferred, since they best serve our clientele. Arrangements may be made with the Head of the Cataloging & Serials department (see above).

Individuals wishing to give monetary gifts for the purchase of materials should contact the Dean of Libraries (785-532-7492,
)

Donations for the Booksale