From: Charles Spetland <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2018 08:05:26 -0500

Here is our posted policy that has been in place 10+ years.  cgs
*Book Donations*

*The Libraries do not accept donations of books and other material due to
serious space constraints and the high cost of sorting, reviewing and
processing donated material.*

*Please consider one of these other options for passing along your
material: the Friends of the Andersen Horticultural Library
<http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/friendsofthelibrary.aspx> for their annual
book sale, your local public library, used books stores, or charitable
organizations such as Books for Africa <http://www.booksforafrica.org/>.*
*Gifts of Rare and Unique Materials*

*If you feel your potential gift is of critical research interest to the
Libraries (rare or unique items only), please call 612-624-9064
<+16126249064> and leave your name and contact information, along with a
description or characterization of the material. You may also send this
information to us by e-mail at: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> or by
regular mail to Collection Development and Management, 170 Wilson Library,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455. We will respond as soon as
possible.*

*Thank you for your interest in supporting the University of Minnesota
Libraries.*


Charles G. Spetland    ( Mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> )
Collection Development Officer
University of Minnesota Libraries
Voice: 612.626.7960 <(612)%20626-7960>
http://www.lib.umn.edu



On Mon, Mar 12, 2018 at 3:59 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 07:04:48 -0700
>
> Libraries struggle with donations:  retired faculty, alumni friends,
> people of a certain age looking to downsize would love to give us
> their books, carefully selected and cared for over decades.  Several
> problems arise:  the books themselves are often very largely
> duplicates of material we already have; or deal with areas where we
> don't have an interest in collecting; and every volume accepted comes
> with a cost in staff time for handling and cataloging and in housing
> costs over time.  So libraries are often now more resistant and have
> to be very sensitive to the disappointment we create.
>
> I have an idea that I have seen somewhere efforts at providing
> guidance for those who would donate academic books usefully -- at
> broad, at home, bookdealers, etc.  Can any of our learned readers
> provide pointers to such guidance?  I ask because I wonder if we
> couldn't provide particularly academics useful practical guidance
> through such information disseminated by e.g. a professional society
> to its members.  This can't be a unique or unheard-of problem.
>
> With thanks for all pointers,
> Jim O'Donnell
> Arizona State University
>