Acceptance of Gifts
Gifts appropriate for Hutchins Library are accepted by the Director
of Library Services or by the director’s designee.
Once accepted, gifts become the property of Berea College. All
materials added to the collection are added to the general collection
or Special Collections & Archives. Due to cost and space
constraints, special named sections cannot be created for a gift
collection. To insure maximum accessibility of library resources,
restrictions regarding shelving, access or processing of gifts
are not normally accepted.
Hutchins Library reserves the right to evaluate, select, and
dispose of gifts in the best interest of Berea College. In accordance
with the ALA/ACRL “Statement
on Appraisal of Gifts,” Hutchins
Library does not appraise any gift.
In accordance with Internal Revenue Service regulations, a donor
claiming a tax deduction for a charitable contribution worth
over $500 and less than $5,000 must file FORM 8283 (pdf
file)
to qualify for the deduction. Donors of gifts valued over $5,000
must file the form AND have the gift appraised by a qualified
appraiser.
Hutchins Library sends a letter of acknowledgement to the donor.
However, the library does not provide the donor with an itemized
list of all items received. If the donor provides a list, the
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian’s letter of acknowledgement
will include the list.
In the event that a gift arrives unannounced, Hutchins Library
assumes the donor is aware of the gifts policy.
Evaluation of Gifts for Addition to the Collection
Gift material must meet the same collection development criteria
as purchased library materials before it is added to the collection.
Hutchins Library adds only materials that fall within the Collection
Development Policy guidelines. Library staff members
evaluate all gifts in light of the following criteria:
- Ability to add depth or breadth to the existing collection
- Support
of overall collection development priorities
- Relevance of content
- Physical condition
Donor Recognition
Hutchins Library makes this Gifts Statement publicly accessible
and provides potential donors with a copy if requested.
Accession records record the names of donors. If appropriate to
the format and if the donor wishes, bookplates with the name of
the donor are placed in individual items.
Disposition of Gift Material
Gift material that is not added to the collection is disposed
of in one of the following ways. Gifts may be returned to the
donor if this has been agreed upon and arranged in advance.
In cases where other Appalachian College Association (ACA)
member libraries have teaching or collecting goals that the
gifts more appropriately support, Hutchins Library may offer
the gifts to these institutions. Gifts that are not incorporated
into the Hutchins Library collection, not returned to the donor,
and not accepted by other ACA libraries
are offered to the Berea College community free of charge.
