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Collection Development and Management

Vassar College Libraries Gift Policy

Gifts are treated as new acquisitions and thus are evaluated by the same standards applied to new purchases to safeguard quality, consistency, and relevance to the needs of the College.  Academic libraries have specific needs that frequently exclude items people wish to donate, such as standard editions of classic works, which usually duplicate holdings; textbooks, which become outdated; books printed on paper too brittle to make them usable; and materials in formats not collected by the Library (such as audio-books). Please consult the Vassar College Libraries Collection Development Policy for more information.  Prior to acceptance, we will ask you to provide us with a list so we can assess the usefulness of the material.  Especially valuable are books and journals that fill existing gaps and that support the curriculum, as well as rare books, scholarly works, or works on little-known topics that would enhance our academic collection.

You will be asked to complete a Library Donor Record Form which includes a Vassar Deed of Gift before your gift will be accepted. This form and the deed of gift are the basis for a gift acknowledgment.

Ownership

Books and other library materials given to the Vassar College Library become the property of the College. Your signature on the Donor Record Form acknowledges that gift material not added to the collection may be sold, offered to other libraries, or otherwise disposed of at the Library’s discretion.

Tax Issues

Gifts to Vassar College are tax deductible. The IRS requires donors to submit Form 8283 for gifts of property valued at more than $500 (single or in the aggregate) for which a charitable deduction is sought. In addition, for items valued at more than $5,000.00 the IRS requires that “Qualified Appraisals” be obtained if the donor wishes to take a tax deduction for the value of the gift. In order for Vassar College to formally count your donation as part of a class gift, an appraisal is required. Please note that appraisals are solely the responsibility of the donor. The cost of an appraisal may be tax deductible. In accepting an appraisal, Vassar is not undertaking to determine that it is a “Qualified Appraisal” as required by the Federal Income Tax Regulation. It is always best for the donor to review this and other important tax matters with his or her own tax advisor or attorney. For further information please contact the Office of Donor Relations in the Development Office, Vassar College, Box 14, Poughkeepsie, New York 12604-0014, (845) 437-7547. Donors of gifts valued at more than $500 are required to complete a Vassar College Deed of Gift form.

Please note that once your gift is received by the College we cannot accommodate an appraiser; therefore, if you are considering a tax deduction and wish to have your collection appraised, you should do so prior to making the donation.

Bookplates

Because of the volume of gifts that we receive, the Library is unable to accommodate requests for bookplates.

Contact

Debra Bucher
Assistant Director of the Libraries for Collection Development
845 437-5763
debucher@vassar.edu

8/18/14 rev.