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Gift Acceptance Policy for Collection Materials 

Introduction

The University of Houston Libraries welcomes gifts that strengthen and enrich our collections in support of the University’s teaching, learning, and research mission. Because of space, staffing, and collection development priorities, UH Libraries must be selective in accepting gifts for both the General Collections and Special Collections.

All gifts‑in‑kind (GIKs) must also comply with the University of Houston System Gift Acceptance Policy.

Consideration and Acceptance Criteria for GIKs

In assessing acceptability of material gifts, the following is considered:

  1. Relevance to the university’s academic, teaching, and research mission
  2. Unique, rare, or archival value, particularly for Special Collections collecting areas.
  3. Availability of the materials through interlibrary loan, consortia, or partner libraries
  4. Condition of materials
  5. Size, scope, and feasibility of processing and housing the gift
  6. Whether the materials fall into the library’s “not accepted” categories for General Collections (listed below)

Special Collections evaluates potential gifts on a case‑by‑case basis and may consider a range of material types within these general criteria.

Materials Not Accepted for the General Collections

Gifts to the General Collections have specific limitations. The following materials are not accepted:

  1. Bulk donations from home or office relocations
  2. Textbooks, including instructor editions (see the Libraries’ Textbook Acquisition Policy)
  3. Reference materials (e.g., encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes)
  4. Outdated media formats, including vinyl records (LPs), VHS tapes, and cassette tapes
  5. Mass‑market paperbacks
  6. Duplicates of materials already held by the Libraries
  7. Damaged or compromised items, including those with mold, water damage, excessive dust, infestations, or broken components
  8. Periodicals or journals
  9. Unsolicited materials, including walk‑in donations or items mailed or left at the library without prior approval. Unsolicited materials will be disposed of in accordance with university and Libraries policies.

How to Initiate a Consideration and Acceptance Process

  1. Initial Contact:
    • For General Collections Inquiries:
    • For Special Collections:
  2. Assessment and Evaluation: UH Libraries will evaluate the proposed gift for its suitability based on the above criteria.
  3. Approval: If the gift is approved for acquisition a Gift-In-Kind Acceptance Form will be signed by the Dean of Libraries and then sent to the donor for signature.
  4. University Gift-in-Kind Acceptance Committee Review: Any gift with a valuation of $5,000 or more will be reviewed and evaluated by the University GIK Acceptance Committee.
  5. Acquisition: UH Libraries will provide a recommendation to the donor regarding the transfer and acquisition of materials based on the assessment and evaluation process. No gifts can come into UH Libraries’ possession prior to an assessment and approval process. The library does not offer pick-up services for general collections of materials. Unsolicited materials will be disposed of in accordance with university and Libraries policies.

Donor Responsibilities

  • Rightful Ownership: Donors must attest to being the rightful owner of the item(s)
  • Inventory: Donors should provide a detailed list of all materials they wish to donate, including titles, authors, publication dates, and any relevant context or connections to the institution. This list should be submitted during initial contact with the library.
  • Shipping Costs and Logistics: For General Collections items, the donor will cover shipping costs. We do not offer pick up services for general collections items. For Special Collections items, shipping and delivery will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
  • Appraisals: Donors are responsible for obtaining any appraisals needed for tax purposes before donating materials.

Rights of UH Libraries

  • Ownership Transfer: All materials accepted by UH Libraries become property of the University of Houston and are subject to University policy and the Libraries collecting and retention policies. UH Libraries will retain unconditional ownership of items and will determine future use, including digitization, and/or de-accessioning.
  • Disposal or Discretion: UH Libraries retains the rights to sell, recycle, or dispose of materials that do not meet or no longer meet collecting and retention criteria.
  • Processing and Accessibility: UH Libraries will determine the timing and prioritization level for processing, cataloging, and digitizing (if appropriate) based on staffing, preservation needs, and other internal workflow policies. UH Libraries does not guarantee that materials will be digitized as part of acceptance.
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