Donating to the University of Adelaide Library
Donations and gifts of materials
Introduction
The Library accepts donations of books, music scores, sound recordings, runs of journals, ephemera and other printed or otherwise published material that would be of use to our students, academic staff and researchers. We also accept only exceptional items of older reference tools such as encyclopedias.
The library is usually more interested in peripheral than general material. Pamphlets and other ephemera can be extremely hard to acquire except by donation, and yet often they contain information not otherwise recorded. Even items that may not have been published with scholarly intent such as art catalogues, theatre programmes, cookery books or guides to etiquette can be very useful to researchers.
The Library is not generally interested in:
- Superseded editions of textbooks
- Items in poor physical condition - damaged, musty, mouldy.
- Superseded editions of textbooks or reference works
- Condensed versions (eg Reader's Digest condensed books).
- Older editions of encyclopedias.
Conditions of acceptance
Donations are reviewed in accordance with the collection development policy, and offers may not be accepted or unwanted items may not be retained.
A gift may not be accepted if there are limitations placed by the donor on its location or use. Collections are kept together only in exceptional circumstances.
Disposal of unwanted donations
The Library reserves the right to dispose of unwanted donations – disposal can include transfer to another institution or selling via the library's annual book sale or on the Internet.
Acknowledging donations
If the donor wishes, we will send a letter of acknowledgement and insert a bookplate in the item/s.
Donations under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
The Library is registered to receive gifts under the Cultural Gifts Program which has been established by the government to encourage donations of culturally significant material to public institutions and thereby enable donors to receive a taxation advantage.
The program requires two valuations from approved valuers. The University of Adelaide Library, as an interested party in a proposed donation under this Program, is itself unable to value the proposed gift but can supply a list of approved valuers. The costs of such valuation are normally the responsibility of the donor but this may be subject to negotiation. If the gift and its valuation are mutually acceptable to the donor and the Library and meet the requirements of the Committee on Taxation Incentives for the Arts, the donor may subsequently claim the assessed value of the gift as a tax deduction.
Potential donors are invited to contact the University Librarian to discuss any proposed donation or offer of material for sale or for gift under the Cultural Gifts Program.
Useful contacts are:
The University Librarian,
Ray Choate,
ph 8303 5126
ray.choate@adelaide.edu.au
The Book Resources Librarian
Margaret Hosking
8303 5285
library-brl@adelaide.edu.au
The Special Collections Librarian
Cheryl Hoskin
8303 5224
cheryl.hoskin@adelaide.edu.au
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