Library Collection Development - General Guidelines

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.

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

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.

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.