Library Gifts Policy

Policies
Inman E. Page Library accepts donations of books and other materials that support the research and teaching mission of the University. Due to the high cost of processing donations, the Library also may decline to accept gift materials: declined gifts will not be returned, so we recommend consulting one of our librarians before you send us a gift. The Library does not accept walk-in donations or unapproved drop-offs. If you do contact us, we would be grateful if you could provide a list of proposed gift materials including titles, publication dates, general condition, and estimated or appraised value of the material.

General Guidelines
All potential gifts will be evaluated by subject expert librarians in accordance with the collection development policies of Page Library. Accepted gifts will
• meet a demonstrated teaching need;
• support faculty or student research; and/or
• fill a void in an existing collection.

Page Library welcomes gifts of current monographs in excellent condition. Criteria used for the purchase of new materials also apply to gifts. In both cases, the decision is based upon the relevance to Lincoln University’s academic mission, programs and curriculum.

Items not accepted as gifts include outdated textbooks, popular journals, books in poor condition (ie. showing spine damage, mold/water damage, extensive marking, etc.), outdated formats, and unnecessary duplicates.

Should the Library choose to accept a gift, the Library becomes the owner of that material upon receipt and, as such, reserves the right to determine its retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to its use, maintenance, or removal. We regret that we are not able to notify donors of the final disposition of their gifts or return items not added to our collection.

Appraisal
The Library encourages donors to obtain an appraisal of their gifts for income tax purposes: such appraisals are the responsibility of the donor and cannot be carried out by the Library. Appraisals should be made prior to donating materials to the library. The acceptance of a gift that has been appraised does not constitute an endorsement of the appraisal by the Library.