Gifts Policy

Currently, DU Libraries are not accepting donations of books, journals, or other published materials. We will revisit our ability to accept donations of materials that are in good physical condition and support the Libraries’ mission and collection development goals as time and staffing levels allow.

DU Libraries welcomes gifts of books and other cultural heritage materials that complement our collections and support DU's mission to advance scholarly inquiry, cultivate critical and creative thought, and generate knowledge.

Due to limitations related to processing costs, space constraints, and staff time, we are unable to accept every gift. Though exceptions may be made for rare and unique items, materials that generally fall outside the scope of our collecting activities include:

Materials in poor condition
Titles already owned by DU Libraries
Textbooks
Mass market publications
Popular magazines
Commonly available journals
Superseded formats (LPs, cassettes, VHS, floppy disks, etc.)

Gifts of books and other cultural heritage materials are accepted with the understanding that, upon receipt, they're owned by DU Libraries. We'll consider your gift for addition to the collections, but we reserve the right to determine materials' retention, location, and disposition. We recommend that you prepare an inventory to include with your donation.

How to Donate

If you're considering a gift of books that complement existing collections, or if you have a gift-related question, contact Shannon Tharp, Collections & Content Management Librarian, at 303-871-7509 or shannon.tharp@du.edu.

Donors wishing to give rare or unique books and cultural heritage materials to DU Libraries are encouraged to contact Kate Crowe, Curator of Special Collections & Archives, at 303-871-3428 (main desk) or katherine.crowe@du.edu.

Gifts that don't meet our conditions for the collections will be donated to the University Libraries Association (ULA) for sale or to Better World Books to benefit those in need. For more information about donations to the ULA, contact Nancy Clark, Community Relations Manager, at 303-871-3958 or nancy.clark@du.edu.

Acknowledgements

Upon receipt of a gift and contact information, a donor to DU Libraries will receive a letter of acknowledgment. The letter will not include a list of items or an estimate of the value of a gift.

Appraisals

Federal tax regulations prohibit DU Libraries from appraising gift materials for tax purposes. If you plan to claim a tax deduction for the value of your gift, you can search for an appraiser through the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America.