Monetary Donations
Gifts of money to Special Collections are welcome. All such gifts are accepted in consultation with the representatives from the library and the Office of Advancement. A special fund may be established for large gifts, while smaller, one-time gifts will be added to the general fund to support the access to and development of the collections.
Material Donations
We welcome donations, however, due to the high cost of processing and storing materials, we reserve the right to refuse the gift of any materials that the librarians consider unsuitable as an addition to the collections.
Examples of materials generally not accepted for donation include the following:
- Textbooks
- popular trade paperbacks
- records (LPs)
- audio cassettes
- magazines or periodicals
- popular sheet music
- materials in poor condition (i.e. writing on pages; musty smell; yellowed, brittle or torn pages)
- outdated or superseded titles
*Please note that we will need to examine closely materials that have been stored in garages, attics, or basements or areas that are at high risk for exposure to pests, water, or substances that could cause irreparable damage.
Conditions of Acceptance
Large donations must be reviewed prior to delivery and may require a site visit by a librarian. 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. A Deed of Gift must be signed and dated before transfer of materials. Materials not selected for addition to our collection may be sold, donated to students or faculty, recycled, discarded or otherwise disposed.
Acknowledgment
The Dean of the Library will make written acknowledgement of all gifts. Acknowledgements typically include the date of receipt and a brief description of the gift. We do not provide itemized lists of items received.
Tax Information and Appraisals
The Library cannot legally appraise the gifts made to it nor do we recommend specific appraisers. Please see below for sources to locate a qualified appraiser. Donations made to the library with a combined value of over $5,000 require that donors complete IRS Form 8283 when reporting the gift. This form must be signed by the Library Dean. 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.
American Society of Appraisers
Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association of America
Appraisers Association of America
International Society of Fine Arts Appraisers
