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Our Guides

Material Donations to the Library

Donating Materials to the Library

Definitions

General Collections – The library’s materials which are shelved in the main library shelving locations and are not considered special or archive collections (i.e. test kits and institutional artifacts) 

Materials – Broad term covering items commonly found in the library’s main collections, including: books, textbooks, and audio-visual materials. 

Limitations on Donations 

Due to space constraints and the high cost of reviewing and processing donated materials, The University Library at The Chicago School is unable to accept most donations of books, including textbooks and audio-visual materials, for our general collections. 

Factors Impacting Donations 

Donated books and materials may be accepted if: 

(1) Support the current and anticipated curriculum 

(2) Are in a format collected by the library 

(3) The gift comes free of restriction by the donor 

Donations must be prearranged with the library with enough time to allow for consideration and processing of donated materials. 

Once accepted, donated materials become the property of The Chicago School and will not be returned to the donor. Donated materials added to the library's collections may be distinguished with donated bookplates and/or a donation note in the library catalog record upon request. 

Unsolicited Resource Donations 

The Library is not obligated to accept or acknowledge unsolicited material donations and reserves the right to utilize any donations to its best advantage. Donated materials not accepted for library usage will be disposed of at the library's discretion. 

Donation Appraisement 

The University Library at The Chicago School is not able to provide any appraisement of donations for possible financial value. 

Recommendations

  • Prior to donating any physical materials to the library, we encourage possible donors to submit a list of the materials that they are looking to donate. The Library can then check to see if any materials might fit within the criteria of our current collection needs.
  • As a Health and Behavioral Sciences Library, the library generally does not accept items for its general collections that are older than ten years unless the materials are considered seminal text within the field.

 

Contact

If you have questions or are considering donating materials, please reach out to: 

library@thechicagoschool.edu