General Guidelines

Acceptance of Gifts

Decisions on accepting or refusing gift materials will be made by the gift librarian in the appropriate library. In the case of interdisciplinary materials, informal consultation between selectors is encouraged to determine the most appropriate approach based on the general subject boundaries of the gift. In general, the Dartmouth College Library accepts gifts only with the understanding that they will be used to the best advantage of the Library. A donor should be informed that the Library will add only those materials it needs and will dispose of unwanted items through book sales and discarding.

Large Gifts

The Library may gain greatly from gift collections, but several tests should be applied before a large gift is accepted:

a. Is the gift collection appropriate to the Library collection?

b. Does the collection include a high percentage of unwanted duplicate item or materials in poor condition?

c. Are there special limitations the Library must meet?

To answer these questions, efforts should be made to inspect large gifts. If the materials cannot be inspected on site, the selector should obtain a detailed listing of the gift materials or at least a description accurate enough to evaluate the gift. If a complete listing is available, selected titles should be searched to determine the extent of duplication. If possible, pre-selection is made prior to the delivery of materials.

Small Gifts

In most cases, small gifts arrive unsolicited in the Library and no pre-selection is possible.

Acknowledgments

Appraisals

The Dartmouth College Gifts-in-Kind Policies and Procedures (1986) states the College policy on the appraisal of gifts:

1. The appraisal of a gift to the Library for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor, since it is the donor who benefits from the tax deduction. The cost of the appraisal is borne by the donor.

2. The Library should at all times protect the interests of its donors as best it can and should suggest the desirability of appraisals whenever such a suggestion would be appropriate.

3. To protect both its donors and itself, the Library, as an interested party, may provide assistance to the donor by:

a. providing the donor with information such as auction records and dealers' catalogs;

b. suggestions of appropriate professional appraisers who might be consulted; and

c. administrative and processing services which would assist the appraiser in making an accurate evaluation.

4. The acceptance of a gift which has been appraised by a third, disinterested party, does not in any manner imply an endorsement of the appraisal by the Library.