Gift Information

Thank you for your interest in supporting Samford University Library!

With the exception of the programs in the Cumberland School of Law, all undergraduate and graduate curricula at Samford rely on the research and instructional resources provided by the University Library. Your gifts enable us to provide the best in online and print resources for our faculty, staff and students.

For giving opportunities to the library please visit Giving.

Print and Media Donation Policy

As collections at the University continue to grow and evolve in response to campus curricula and research, our criteria for accepting print donations also evolve. Processing physical gifts of books, media, etc. requires an inordinate amount of staff time, space, and funding relative to resources selected and added to the collection. The need for the application and use of these resources to manage evolving and diverse learning resources and spaces continues to grow. The University Library, like most academic libraries, is decreasing its print collections and focusing more on electronic books, journals, and databases.

Currently, the Library only needs select items that support the teaching, learning, and research of our faculty and students. Only rarely do we accept physical donations for the general print and media collections.

The American Library Association provides some excellent ideas for organizations that accept donations of used books and media. View the list.

Donation Criteria for Physical Items

Infrequently, the University Library accepts donations of items in print or in media format. Librarians evaluate each item on an individual basis in terms of processing costs and significance to the collections. In making that judgement, we work within formal guidelines, which we willingly share with potential donors:

  • Gifts of physical items must be accompanied by a list of titles and a brief description of the potential donation, including size, type, subject matter, and age and condition of the materials.
  • Donations for the general collection will not be accepted until the donor has scheduled an appointment and met with a Collection Management/Acquisitions employee for discussion of the potential collection. Donations for Special Collection should be discussed with the Special Collection department.
  • When received, all materials then become the property of University Library. At that point, they either will be added to the collections or dispersed at the discretion of the library staff.
  • For materials added to the collections, we, unfortunately, cannot accept restrictions on length of retention, housing, access, processing, or markings. But we will, to the extent possible, make every effort to accommodate your requests as a donor.
  • If materials duplicate others in the collections or if they do not meet the conditions of our written collection development policies, they may be sold to make other purchases, exchanged for other titles, made available to other libraries, or otherwise released in a fitting manner. In this way, we hope to make the best use of your gracious donation.
  • For its general collections, the library may accept books, journals, video and sound recordings, and other similar objects. In addition to these types of items, Special Collection also accepts such archival materials as manuscripts, photographs, and maps.
  • These are materials not sought by the University Library:
    • Textbooks
    • General encyclopedias no matter their age
    • Review copies and galley proofs
    • Mass-market paperbacks
    • Popular magazines, either bound or unbound
    • U. S. Government Publications
    • Books or scholarly journals which duplicate our holdings (See: http://library3.samford.edu/ )
    • Materials in poor condition, especially if they show signs of mold or mildew or are malodorous
    • Electronic materials requiring dated software or materials that reference dated software, programs, or programming
    • Materials which might cause the library to be liable for copyright infringement (illegally copied print, audio, or video)
  • The library furnishes the donor with appropriate acknowledgment and descriptions of materials. However, the library is prohibited by federal law from providing monetary appraisals of physical gifts. Should you have questions about tax deductions, we suggest that you consult your personal tax advisor.
  • Arrangements for delivery of donated materials must be made on an individual basis.

If you would like more detailed information about donating materials, you are invited to contact the library's Collection Management Librarian.

Your interest in our library is greatly appreciated.