Gifts and Donations

The Health Sciences Library selectively accepts print, audio/video, and electronic materials according to its subject profile. It accepts certain gifts and donations, as detailed below, in the subject area of biomedical sciences, including:

  • Life sciences (i.e., biochemistry, microbiology, allergy and immunology, cell biology, parasitology, genetics, etc.)
  • Pharmacology
  • Medicine (including internal medicine and its subspecialties, pediatrics, geriatrics, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedics, sports medicine, etc.)
  • Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Dentistry
  • Alternative and complementary medicine
  • Public health and biostatistics
  • Nursing
  • Allied health (including occupational therapy, physical therapy, nutrition, etc.)
  • History of medicine, including history of biomedical sciences
  • Selected related disciplines

Materials in scope

Within its subject scope the Library is especially interested in materials that can be used in research and that have historical significance. All materials should be high quality and professional in nature.

The Library accepts published materials, such as books and serial publications, if these are unique to its collection. It selectively accepts separate volumes and issues of serial publications if they may fill gaps in existing subscriptions or complete subscriptions for a range of years if needed.

Materials out of scope

The Library does not usually accept duplicates of materials already in the collection; undergraduate-level science materials; popular science and consumer health materials; newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets, posters, or cards; or materials in poor physical condition, except where such materials might be appropriate for Archives and Special Collections.

Process for donation

The donor should present a typed list of materials they want to donate (in person, by mail, via e-mail, or fax) before any donation is made; without such a list, the gift will not be accepted for review. Such a list should the following elements:

  • For each book, the author, title, publication date, and (optionally) edition and publisher;
  • For serials, the name of the journal and range of years and/or volume numbers;
  • For separate bound volumes or separate issues, the name of the journal, volume number(s), and issue numbers;
  • For a symposium or conference, the name of the conference, date, and place.

For collections that largely pre-date 1921, Archives and Special Collections staff may, in some cases, inspect the collection in the absence of an inventory.

Review process

The Library has a right to accept or reject presented or donated materials at the point of an offer or, if accepted initially for a review, after the review process. The review process entails a decision-making process that assesses the potential benefit to the Library of accepting the donated item(s) into its collection.

There is no deadline for the Library's review process, although the Library strives to do its best to make a decision in a timely fashion.

Materials that the Library decides to decline after the review process will either be discarded or given back to the donor at donor's request, which should be agreed upon at the time of an offer.

Accepted donations

For materials that have been approved for donation, the donor should agree with the Library about the date and time of delivering the books, serials, or other materials. Generally, the donor is responsible to arrange for the delivery or transfer of a gift.

The Library does not prepare appraisal of a gift. If a donor requires an appraisal, arrangements for the appraisal are made directly between the donor and the appraiser. The appraisal must be completed prior to the transfer of a gift to the Library.

If the Library incorporates the gift into its general collection, no special restrictions and requirements should be imposed by a donor as to the location and utilization, etc., of donated items. Restrictions on items accepted into Archives and Special Collections department may be open to negotiations.

Acknowledgement letters are sent to a donor for all accepted gifts if requested by a donor.

For more information, please contact:

Last updated: 7/2023