Library Policies

Acceptance of Gifts

The Library accepts gifts of new or used physical materials on a very limited basis.

Processing physical gifts requires an enormous amount of staff time, space, and funding relative to resources selected and added to the collection. Librarians assess all material donations and select for addition those materials that are appropriate to the academic and library missions or that contribute to the historical record of Canisius University. We reserve the right to decline gifts of materials that do not meet current collection goals and policies.

All donations to the general collection must be pre-approved by the Library Director or a collection services librarian. Please contact the Library before dropping off ANY donations. Donors are responsible for packing and shipping/delivering gifts and for fees related to shipping, insurance, and delivery. Donors should be aware that gifts accepted by the Library become the property of Canisius University. At that point, they either will be added to the collections or dispersed at the discretion of the library staff. Unfortunately, we cannot accept restrictions on the length of retention, housing, access, processing, or markings for materials added to the collections. For accepted items, the library will make every effort to put them to good use; items we do not keep will be offered to another library or nonprofit organization (such as Better World Books) or recycled.

Types of Gifts Desired

• Collections or items that are original (primary material), rare, or unique (not widely held by libraries).
• Items not presently in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis, SJ Library collections; must be related to established Collection Development policy.
• Items that replace missing copies or copies in poor condition in the Library’s collections.
• Locally significant collections and materials.

Types of Materials that Cannot Be Accepted

The Library will not accept damaged materials, including, but not limited to, materials with missing pages/covers, warped or water-damaged pages, and markings or annotations (including highlighting).

For the health and safety of our staff, we will not accept materials with mold/mildew damage, insect damage, or odors caused by contact with rodents or as a result of storage in damp/humid conditions.

We typically do not accept:

• Duplicate copies of materials already held by the library
• Reference materials older than five years
• Microfilm/Microfiche
• Textbooks
• Superseded or outdated editions
• Computer, software, or technology manuals
• Self-published books
• Advance reading copies and uncorrected proofs
• Condensed books
• VHS tapes/Audio cassettes/Vinyl recordings
• Single issues, short runs, and back runs of journals and magazines to which the library does not subscribe.
• Electronic materials requiring dated software
• Materials that might cause the library to be liable for copyright infringement (illegally copied print, audio, video, or “born-digital” resources)

Appraisals, Income Tax Information

By law, library staff cannot value and/or appraise materials. If needed, the donor should arrange for a third-party valuation and/or appraisal before the donation of materials. Donors are responsible for all appraisal costs. Internal Revenue Service regulations governing charitable contributions of non-cash gifts are complex. We encourage donors to consult professional tax advisors before making a major gift.