The AUS Library welcomes inquiries about donations, but has strict limits on what is accepted. For each donation we accept, there are both immediate and long-term expenses to cover processing of the items and making the items accessible. Generally, only items that would make a unique and important contribution to the library collection will be considered.
The AUS Library does not accept:
- Textbooks
- Mass-market paperbacks
- Books, journals, magazines, DVDs and CDs that duplicate our holdings
- Individual issues or small runs of scholarly journals
- Popular magazines (e.g. National Geographic, Smithsonian, Reader’s Digest, etc.)
- Materials in poor condition or exhibiting signs of mold or mildew
- Materials that contain highlighting, underlining, or annotations (unless annotations are of significant scholarly value)
- Materials in outmoded formats (e.g. cassette tapes, VHS, etc.)
- Materials that might cause the library to be liable for copyright infringement (e.g., copied audio and video recordings)
Prospective donors should NOT send unsolicited items. They should, instead, first contact a Liaison Librarian to speak about the usefulness of the proposed donation. To help evaluate proposed donations, the Library may request that donors provide a list of materials.
No monetary value will be placed on materials given to the library. No special conditions will be agreed for housing, retention, display or any other variation from normal library practice. The library’s selection and weeding principles apply to donated items in the same manner as they apply to purchased items.
For more information, please contact us at researchhelp@aus.edu.