Gifts of Library Materials

Thank you for considering the Cal Poly Pomona University Library for a potential donation of library materials. The University Library is a contemporary academic library that welcomes only selected gifts of significant books, archives, manuscripts, and other materials that directly support the University's programs, research missions, and teaching curriculum.

Considering Your Donation

With few exceptions, the University Library must be judicious in considering donations. Due to the increasing availability of electronic resources and budgetary and space restraints, the University Library does not accept the following items:

Popular magazines (e.g., National Geographic), newspapers, short runs or single issues of journals, and mass-market paperbacks
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps, and other reference materials
Photocopies and materials produced in infringement of the Copyright Act
Computer software and outdated media formats
Outdated materials, such as older medical, computer, or science books, textbooks, and handbooks
Materials in poor physical condition (e.g., moldy, marked, water damaged) and/or beyond repair
Titles the University Library already owns (unless in high use or special editions)

If your materials do not fall into the categories above and you feel that your donation would be of interest and meet this criterion, the first step in the process is to prepare a donation form and submit for consideration.

Materials dropped off at the University Library without previous communication with library employees will not be accepted or added to the Library's collection.

Preparing Your Donation

Prospective donors are asked to fill out the University Library's Donation Form and provide a Title List in Excel, Word, or PDF format that includes title, author, and date of publication in advance. Donors may use the Title List template provided.

After we receive the list, librarians will review the list to consider the items for potential addition to the Library's collection. If there are items the University Library wishes to accept, donors will be contacted to make arrangements. The Library is unable to pick up donations or pay for shipping of donations.

All gifts are donated with the understanding that they become the property of the University Library, which has sole discretion regarding decisions to retain, maintain, use, or remove these materials at any time. The University Library reserves the right to exchange, sell, recycle, or discard any materials not added to the Library's collection. Any proceeds from the sale of these materials will be used to benefit the Library's collections.

Acknowledging Your Donation

If we accept all or part of your donation, the University Library will provide a letter of acknowledgement for all donors who indicate on the Donation Form that they would like to receive a letter for their gift. University Advancement has a separate process if you require a Gift-in-Kind tax receipt. Please indicate if you would like a receipt on the Donation Form and instructions will be provided.

Under IRS regulations, the University Library cannot and does not provide appraisal value for donated books or other gifted materials for tax or inheritance purposes. The valuation of any in-kind donation is the responsibility of the donor and/or IRS authorized appraiser. Any in-kind donation a donor values over $5,000 requires an authorized appraisal according to the IRS. The donor should seek the advice of a professional tax consultant to determine the extent of the in-kind gift's tax benefit.

Contacting Us about Donations of Materials

For all other inquiries regarding donations, please direct them to the Collection Development Coordinator, Brinna Pam Anan, via email at bpanan@cpp.edu.

Consider Donating to Public Libraries

If the materials you are considering donating are not appropriate for a contemporary academic library, donors may also consider donating their materials to a local public library. You are encouraged to contact your local public library to find out if they accept donations.

Here is selective list of public libraries and links to their materials donation policies: