Donating Gifts-in-kind
Gifts of books, journals, photographs, and other library materials can be of great value for filling gaps in journal backruns, adding useful titles that were never purchased, or replacing lost titles that are no longer in print. If you would like to donate materials for the general collections, please call the Acquisitions Dept. at 215-204-8215 or contact a subject specialist.Alphabetic Listing of Departments with Subject Specialists. To donate rare or special collections materials, or items pertaining to the history of Temple University, please contact Tom Whitehead at 215-204-4371.Information about your collection will be ascertained and you will be referred to the subject specialist most appropriate for your gift. The Subject Specialist will decide whether to accept the gift, in whole or in part, based on collection needs. Depending upon the apparent significance of the collection, additional University approvals may be required.
We do not accept:
- brittle or damaged materials
- paperback novels
- textbooks (except those published by Temple faculty)
- periodicals (except in complete runs of titles not already duplicated)
Tax deductability & valuation of gifts:
You will receive an acknowledgement that you can use for tax purposes.
The following guidelines apply if the donor intends to claim the fair market value of his/her gift as a charitable deduction for tax purposes:
The Tax Reform Act of 1984 established three categories of tangible property gifts, each having certain requirements:
Whatever the valuation category, it is the responsibility of the donor to establish the fair market value of a gift, either through personal research or with the services of an appraiser. Temple University cannot provide monetary appraisals of donated material or pay for such appraisals due to IRS regulations. If you wish to have a gift appraised, we can offer a list of reputable independent appraisers whom you may contact directly.
- gifts valued at $500 or less may be claimed as itemized deductions on your 1040 return, schedule A
- gifts valued at more than $500 but less than $5000 must be reported on Part A of IRS form 8283
- gifts valued at more than $5000 require additional information, including an independent third-party appraisal, to be reported on Part B of IRS form 8283 which must also be signed by a representative of Temple University as the recipient of your donation.
Once accepted, your gift becomes the property of the Temple University Libraries. If any materials are ultimately not added to the collections, we reserve the right to dispose of the material as necessary through exchange, sale, or other means.
This page last updated: November 1, 2006