Gifts Policy

The Catholic University of America Libraries appreciate the donations made by our patrons in enriching our collections in order to support scholarly teaching and research at CUA.

Overview of Criteria for Inclusion of Gifts

• Gifts should be relevant to the libraries' mission to participate in the teaching and research programs of the University and to preserve our Catholic intellectual heritage and culture. The subject librarian will have final say as to whether something is added to the collection.
• Donors are not allowed to place special restrictions on the use or disposal of the gifts. The University becomes the owner of all donated materials and, as such, reserves the right to determine its retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to its use, maintenance, or removal.
• Material must be in good condition. Paperbacks or hardcovers that are falling apart, missing pages, have yellowed paper, or extensively marked up, are rejected. Books with mold and mildew are rejected outright.
• Donations of journals and serials are rarely added to the collection unless it is a run of several years. Individual issues are rejected outright.
• Audiovisual material may be considered if it is in good condition. DVDs and CDs are accepted; VHS is not.
• Duplicates of materials already in the collection are generally rejected.

While gifts are free in the sense that the library doesn't have to pay for them, there are processing costs involved. Cataloging, labeling, and ongoing space commitments are just a few of the costs involved for library materials.

General Donation Guidelines

• Contact the respective subject librarian. A list of titles should be submitted to the subject librarian before delivery. For large collections, an onsite visit by the librarian may be arranged.
• The following libraries have further requirements for accepting gifts:
  • Engineering and Architecture Library
  • Music Library
  • Nursing and Biology Library
  • Rare Books and Special Collections
  • Religious Studies and Humanities
  • Semitics/ICOR Library
• Donations of archival and museum material (examples include personal records, personal papers, photographs, film, archival sound recordings, and artifacts) should be directed to the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives. (Acquisitions policy).

Monetary Donations

Monetary donations can be an excellent way of building parts of our collections. The donor may designate a specific fund be set up in a particular subject area or topic. The donor can contribute directly through the CUA Office of University Development using the online gift form. Under 'I would like to designate my gift to', select 'libraries'. Another option would be to contact the subject librarian directly.

A donor wanting to purchase materials for the library should contact the respective subject librarian with a list of items being considered. The subject librarian can provide a list of needed titles if necessary.

Acknowledgments

A letter of acknowledgment is sent to the donor unless the donor deems this unnecessary. The letter will acknowledge the number of volumes donated but not each individual title. The donor is responsible for an itemized list if he wants it included in the letter. Bookplates can be added to books in the donor's name and a note to the donation will be made in the online catalog record.

Donations and Tax Benefits

By law, librarians cannot appraise gifts. Donors can find appraisers at the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, the American Booksellers Association or the American Society of Appraisers, to name a few. Tax forms and guidelines can be found at the Internal Revenue Service website. The following forms and pamphlets may prove useful:

• IRS Form 8283 (Noncash Charitable Contributions)
• Publications 526 (Charitable Contributions)
• Publications 561 (Determining the Value of Donated Property)

The donor is encouraged to consult with his tax advisor on the value of donated material and what can be claimed legally.