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There are many ways to give a gift to the University Libraries. We accept gifts of books, periodicals, manuscripts, money, stocks, bonds, and other materials. Donations add depth and diversity to our collection and help us to fulfill the Libraries' mission to our students, faculty, and other scholars.
Libraries' Gift Policy
Potential donors should read the Libraries' Gift Policy. There may be need for clarification in some areas, including:
- understanding between the libraries and the donor regarding the disposition of materials that remain from a larger gift collection that the Libraries cannot accept intact;
- whether the gift is to be publicly acknowledged; and
- donor restrictions, such as how the collection can be used and housed.
Completing and signing the Libraries' Gift Policy ensures clarity of terms and requirements for compliance.
Criteria for accepting gifts
The same Collection Development policies that guide purchase decisions are used to evaluate potential gifts. These criteria were designed to build a collection that supports the University's curricular and research needs. Gifts that do not meet our collection development criteria will not normally be accepted. Examples of gifts that do not meet the collection criteria of The University Libraries include:
- damaged, dated, or superseded materials;
- most textbooks;
- duplicates of books or periodicals that the library already owns (such as National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, and Science); and
- materials in subject areas that do not support either teaching or research in U of M disciplinary areas (i.e. veterinary medicine or pastoral theology).
Appraisal of potential gifts
Donors who need to document a fiscal value of the gift should arrange to obtain an appraisal from a private source. Federal law does not allow the University Libraries to appraise items being given to us. [IRS "Discussion of Noncash Gifts"]
Memorials or gifts that honor an individual or event
Gifts may be made in memory or in honor of an individual or event. If desired by the donor, an appropriate book will be plated in honor of the specified person or event. To contribute in this way, please use the Memorial and Commemorative Gifts form.
Gifts of Materials
Gifts to Circulating or Reference collections
Before bringing gift items to the University Libraries, please contact Chris Matz in Collection Development (901-678-8244 or cmatz@memphis.edu) and request an evaluation of the gift. After the evaluation, which might also require a site visit, arrangements will be made for bringing the materials to the Libraries. Please do not deliver unsolicited gifts to the Libraries. Collection Development staff will bring the potential gift to the attention of the appropriate department or collection developer: e.g., members of the Periodicals Department usually consider gifts of periodicals. Gifts of more than ten titles should be presented in list form so Libraries' staff can determine suitability of adding the items to our collection.
Gifts to Special Collections
Because of the unique focus of Special Collections, gifts considered by the Special Collections Department are governed by a separate, often more inclusive policy. Welcome gifts include:
- manuscripts, including private letters, family papers, and organizational records;
- memorabilia;
- rare books; and
- photographs.
Gifts to the Mississippi Valley Collection, a part of
Special Collections which includes historically significant materials related to the lower Mississippi Valley (from below St. Louis to above New Orleans) are important to researchers and scholars.
Gifts to Special Collections must enhance the value of the collection; therefore, not all gift materials are appropriate. To donate to Special Collections, contact the department (901-678-8242 or efrank@memphis.edu) and discuss the gifts with the Curator. If your gift is appropriate for our collection, you will be asked to complete a Deed of Gift form. The Deed of Gift establishes the terms of your gift and outlines our responsibilities to you as the donor. Libraries' personnel will work with you to establish terms that are agreeable to you and to the University Libraries. If you desire a statement of monetary value of your gift, you must obtain an appraisal from a professional not affiliated with The University of Memphis. Donors who wish to receive a tax credit should consult with their tax advisors, and must submit a Form 8283 "Noncash Charitable Contributions" to the IRS.
Monetary donations
Monetary gifts enable the University Libraries to acquire unique resources, undertake programmatic initiatives, support staff development, purchase equipment, and cover a myriad of other needs that we could not afford, otherwise. You may wish to give a gift that will be used to cover current needs, or you may wish to give a gift that will generate income that will be used in the future.
Opportunities for supporting the Libraries are numerous. If you would like to learn about different giving opportunities, including estate-planning, donations via credit card or bank account debit, donations to an existing endowment, or creating a funded endowment in the name of a chosen individual or entity, please contact:
You may also make monetary donations by completing the Gift Form and mailing it along with your check to:
Dr. Sylverna V. Ford, Dean of University Libraries
The University of Memphis
126 Ned R. McWherter Library
Memphis, TN 38152-3250
Make checks payable to The University of Memphis Foundation.
Friends of the University Libraries
The Friends is a group of individuals committed to supporting the University Libraries and are a key element of the development program of the University Libraries. To learn about membership in the Friends, or for information on supporting the University Libraries through the Friends, please visit the Friends web page.
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