Book Donations

Considering a donation? Please contact the Libraries’ Development and Friends Office at (585) 275-4461, the Head of Collection Development at (585) 275-3302, or the Director of Rare Books and Special Collections at (585) 275-4477 to discuss your gift.

We welcome donations of books both for the collections and for the Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries book sales. These gifts in kind may serve to strengthen the Libraries’ holdings. Donated books that are not needed for the Libraries’ collections will benefit the Friends of the UR Libraries through their sales, or be sent to BetterWorldBooks for redistribution to their literacy partners around the world.

All donations of books or other materials to the University of Rochester’s Libraries must be boxed with the name and address of the donor written clearly on the top of the box, and be in good, clean condition.

Materials Not Accepted:

We generally do not accept encyclopedias or magazines. Back-runs of scholarly journals are accepted only by prior arrangement. The Libraries’ will not accept National Geographic magazines, textbooks more than 10 years old, Reader’s Digest condensed version books, or moldy, mildewed, water-damaged, warped, or torn books. Please be very careful when reviewing books for donation to the library. Once inside the library, mold and mildew can spread to other parts of our collections. Better WorldBooks will not accept these materials either.

Appraisals and Tax Receipts:

In accordance with IRS regulations, the Libraries cannot appraise any donations, however a letter of acknowledgement for volumes donated to the library will be sent to each donor. This letter may be used for income tax purposes. Donors wishing to claim a tax deduction may want to consult with their income tax preparer or the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for the proper procedure. If you have materials that you believe to be of particular value, please contact the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and Preservation for a referral to an external expert. You may find some referral information in this FAQ.

Thank you for thinking of the University of Rochester Libraries