Gifts
246A Main Library, MC-522
1408 West Gregory Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
217-333-0318(phone)
217-244-4358 (fax)
The below policy is intended to address donations of print, non-print and related gifts of both general and special nature and it does not address the specialized requirements of manuscripts and archives. The University Archivist and other specialists, such as the Librarian for the Illinois Historical Survey, must be consulted when dealing with manuscript and University collections.
The University of Illinois Library actively seeks gifts-in-kind to help provide additional materials that might not otherwise be available to users. Gifts to the Library benefit students and researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and thousands of researchers and citizens throughout Illinois, the nation and the world. Responsible stewardship of gifts of material to the Library collection is as important to the general vitality of our Library as are the purchases we make. In addition, the Library is able to develop important friendships with donors, who often continue to find ways to enhance our Library and its collections and services.
Regardless of the size of the gift, it is the responsibility of the librarian working with a donor to advise him or her that any material not added to the collection may be placed in the library book sale, sold to dealers, shared with other state university libraries, or otherwise disposed of. Selectors should not agree to return donations that are not selected by the Library, nor should they agree to add items to the collection without consultation with the subject librarian. The University Archives is the exception to this rule, where donors are routinely told asked to indicate whether items should be disposed of or returned.
Donors are to be sent written acknowledgments in a timely fashion, unless they specifically request that no acknowledgment be made. Donors frequently use acknowledgments for tax purposes – this expectation along with the development of good donor relations requires that acknowledgments be made as soon as possible after a gift is received. For smaller gifts, the subject librarian or receiving unit may use the Gifts Acknowledgment Letter web form to provide written documentation for the donor as well as the Library. The subject librarian may also choose to write an acknowledgment letter containing the same kind of information that is found on the form, including a listing or count of the donation, the date the items were received, information about the possible disposition of the material, and income tax issues. Acknowledgments should include a description of the material that has been donated, including quantity. The Office of the Director of Development and Public Affairs must be notified of all gifts accepted, and given a copy of any acknowledgment letters, as well as details of any agreements made with the donors. It is not necessary to provide the Office of Collections with a copy of acknowledgments, as this Office works closely with the Development Office on gifts. The AUL for Collections will notify the Director of Development and Public Affairs of materials accepted through his/her office.
The Deed of Gift is a document that conveys the gift material to the Library without any encumbrances, including copyright or ownership issues. It spells out any terms or conditions of the gift and provides a clear title to the material. If a gift is potentially valued at $5,000 or more, a Deed of Gift is required. The Library Development Office can prepare these Deeds of Gift.
The unit accepting a gift that requires a Deed must notify the Library Development Office of the gift at the time the gift is accepted. In addition, the receiving library can work with the donor to identify an appropriate appraiser (contact the Collections Management Librarian, the Rare Book and Manuscript Librarian, or the University Archivist, as appropriate, for help in identifying appraisers.) The Library Development Office is responsible for issuing the Deed of Gift, in consultation with the University Librarian, the AUL for Collections and the Library faculty member in charge of the unit where the collection be will located. The Library Development Office keeps the master files on these gifts.
Significant collections are identified as ones that have at least one of the following physical characteristics:
The Library has the obligation to our donors and to our collections to house, process, and conserve these materials in an appropriate manner. The Library also has the obligation to ensure that the collection fits the intellectual, curricular and scholarly foci of the University.
Whenever a significant collection is being considered for acquisition by the Library, it must be reviewed by the Significant Gifts Review Committee. This ad hoc group reports to the University Librarian and includes representatives of the following units: Preservation, Library Development, University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Office of Collections, and subject specialists as indicated by the contents of the gift. The Review Committee is responsible for assessing the handling and impact of the gift as it relates to the following areas:
Following review by the ad hoc committee, a recommendation will be made to the University Librarian and the Office of Collections or University Archivist about the disposition of the offered gift.
Prior to acceptance of a large, significant, gift a Memorandum of Understanding must be drawn up and signed by the librarian conducting the receipt of the gift, the AUL for Collections, the Collections Management Librarian, and the Head of Facilities. The purpose of this is to provide documentation including background information and the significance behind the gift. In addition, it details the process agreed upon by all parties in regards to how this gift will be handled, searched, stored, and a time line in which to accomplish this.
Follow the link to fill in a web form for the Memorandum of Understanding.
Generally, the Library will not accept or accession any item that is infected with mold or an active pest infestation of any nature. Individual items and collections that exhibit any signs of mold and/or pest infestation (holes or chewed material, eggs and egg casings, live or dead insects, insect frass, mammals and their droppings, etc…) shall be evaluated by the Head of Preservation.
For Individual Items and Gifts – Please refer to the following website for a copy of the Preservation and Conservation Departments’ Preservation Processing Policy for Gifts and Newly Acquired Older Materials.
For Large Collections – The Preservation and Conservation Departments’ Preservation Processing Policy for Gifts and Newly Acquired Older Materials (link above) applies. For collections that exhibit significant damage or infestation that are crucial to the library’s mission, the Library will consider approaching the donor for supplemental funds to assist in treating and processing the collection. If no supplemental funds are available, the Significant Gifts Review Committee will re-evaluate their recommendation for accepting the gift.
For Rare and Valuable Items – The Preservation and Conservation Departments’ Preservation Processing Policy for Gifts and Newly Acquired Older Materials (link above) applies. For collections that exhibit significant damage or infestation that are crucial to the library’s mission, the Library will consider approaching the donor for supplemental funds to assist in treating and processing the collection. If no supplemental funds are available, the Significant Gifts Review Committee will re-evaluate their recommendation for accepting the gift.
Approved September 2001
Revised June 2007
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: Collections Webmaster
Last modified by: Robert Slater on 9/15/08