Q. How do I donate books or other items to the Library?

Thank you for your interest in donating materials to the Harold B. Lee Library.

Material Gift Donation Information

The Library gratefully and selectively accepts gifts and other contributions for the development of collections. The Library may accept books, journals, or media that support Brigham Young University’s (BYU) teaching or research. Gifts are evaluated by the same standards of teaching or research relevance which are applied to new Library purchases.

Considerations Before Donating

1. Decisions about which donations are accepted by the Library lies solely with the Library administration, subject librarians and curators.
2. If gifts are accepted it is understood that, upon receipt, the Library becomes the owner of the material and, as such, reserves the right to determine its retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to its use, maintenance, or disposal.
3. The Library encourages donors to consider, for their own interest, obtaining an appraisal of their gifts for income tax purposes before transferring ownership to the Library. Since the Library cannot provide appraisals, donors bear the costs of appraisal. BYU recommends that donors discuss gift appraisals with their attorneys.

Process for Donating Materials

1. Contact the appropriate subject librarian or curator about the potential donation. For help in identifying the appropriate subject librarian or curator, contact the Library Administration Office (801-422-2905):
   • Social Science http://lib.byu.edu/directory/social-science
   • Science  https://lib.byu.edu/directory/science-engineering/
   • Humanities http://lib.byu.edu/directory/humanities/
   • Special Collections https://lib.byu.edu/special-collections/
2. Provide the subject librarian or curator with a list including titles, publication dates, and a general assessment of the condition of the material. A gift and acceptance form will also need to be completed by the donor and library representative during this process.
3. The subject librarian or curator will contact you about arranging receipt of the material by the Library.

Donations Which Cannot Be Accepted by the Library

1. Patrons are also encouraged to contact local educational institutions or Deseret Industries for donation of unneeded books and other materials that cannot be accepted by the Library.
2. To have materials picked up from their campus office, retiring professors can contact BYU Recycling at 801-422-4662 (https://pf.byu.edu/recycling).

For more information about financial donations to the Library, please visit: https://lib.byu.edu/about/donate/.