About the Library

Donations Policy

Conditions of Acceptance

Gifts are accepted with the understanding that they become the property of CalArts upon receipt, and that the Library may make all necessary decisions as to their retention and disposition. Materials not selected for addition to our collection may be sold, donated to students or faculty, recycled, discarded or otherwise disposed. Proceeds from the sale of materials may go to support the James Elrod Scholarship for Library student employees.

Due to significant space limitations, prior agreement on the delivery date(s) must be made before any donation consisting of 5 or more boxes of materials will be accepted.

Tax Information and Appraisal

Each donor is responsible for determining their personal tax obligations and whether their gift requires appraisal. For more information consult IRS publication 561 entitled Determining the Value of Donated Property, available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat to view and print) or you can call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) 24 hours a day to have one mailed. Consult the form directly for full details and required documentation.

Recognizing Donors

The Dean of the Library will make written acknowledgement of all gifts for which acknowledgement is requested. Acknowledgements typically include the date of receipt and a brief description of the gift. We recommend that our donors prepare a detailed inventory and include a copy with their donations.

Book Plates

The Library uses bookplates to designate items as gifts from a donor. If requested, bookplates may be used which indicate that the item is given "in memory of" or "in honor of" or "in the name of".