UTC RAVE Alert

General Collection Gifts and Donations

The UTC Library general collection consists of over 450,000 physical items and many more electronic resources available to our current students, faculty and staff. As our collection is already extensive, in many cases offers of gift books or materials may duplicate our holdings. With limited resources, including space, the Library must be selective in the materials we choose to add to our collection. As a result, we have a focused policy on what types of gifted materials we will consider.

Above all, the UTC Library will only accept gifts and donations of materials that meet the collection development principles and criteria outlined in its current Collection Development Policy, which apply to all titles purchased by the Library. In order to be considered for donation, the UTC Library will need an inventory or detailed description of the intended donation. Donors should contact [email protected] with details on the intended donation.

If the Library decides to accept the gift, we will work with the donor to determine the details of delivery to the Library. If it is determined that the materials would be better served elsewhere, staff may suggest more appropriate locations for your donation.

Paperwork for most donations is minimal and includes a deed of gift form/gift agreement.

This deed of gift/gift agreement form, when executed officially transfers ownership of the gift to the University. Once ownership is transferred, the Library has the sole right to determine the disposition of the gift as it sees fit. This includes determining whether the item will be added to our collections or donated or disposed of through other means. If the item is added to our collections, the Library determines the location for the item as well as sets all policies which govern its use. The Library does not maintain separate gift collections.

In certain circumstances, it may be possible for a donor to take a tax deduction for the donation. If a potential donor is planning to claim a charitable deduction for income tax purposes, then they should be encouraged to read all relevant Internal Revenue Service publications regarding charitable donations, including Publication #56, Determining the Value of Donated Property. IRS publications list the forms which are required for such deductions and detail the specific penalties which will be imposed for the overvaluation of gifts. If the donor is planning to give items valued over $500 to the Library and to claim a charitable deduction for tax purposes, then they should have the gift appraised, prepare a detailed inventory (to accompany the document of transfer), and keep copies of all of these for tax records. According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, libraries and museums are considered “interested parties” in the matter of donations. For this reason, the UTC Library is unable to appraise any gift which it may receive. The appraisal of a gift is the sole responsibility of the donor or the donor’s representative. Appraisers can be identified in telephone directories by looking under headings, such as “Appraisers”, “Book Dealers -- Used and Rare”, or “Antiques -- Dealers.”

If the donor plans to claim the gift as an income tax deduction, then they must keep a copy of this documentation for his/her tax records.

In general, the UTC Library does not accept the following types of items:

  • Widely held research publications
  • Popular trade or mass market paperback books
  • Textbooks
  • Popular magazines and newspapers
  • Titles already owned or licensed by the university, including journal runs
  • Personal libraries
  • Large, generalized collections
  • Microformats (Microfilm, Microfiche, Microcard, etc.)
  • VHS tapes
  • Blu-Ray Discs
  • Compact Discs
  • Other deprecated A/V formats

The UTC Library will not accept walk-in donations or unapproved drop-offs.

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