Melvin J. Zahnow Library Gift Policy
Saginaw Valley State University
The Zahnow Library encourages donations that would help strengthen our collection dedicated to the curriculum needs of Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). Please see the guidelines below regarding donating gifts to the library.
- The Zahnow Library accepts two types of donations:
- Physical materials, such as books, that follow SVSU collection policy criteria.
- Monetary donations. Any person seeking to donate money to the library should contact the SVSU Foundation (foundation@svsu.edu)
- The library will typically not accept donations that have requirements or restrictions attached. (Exceptions can be made on a case by case basis.)
- The library will accept book donations in academic subject areas taught at SVSU as long as the books are evaluated as useful and in very good condition. The library will NOT accept the following types of donations:
- Books with significant damage such as water damage, torn pages, loose bindings, etc.
- VHS tapes and other outdated audio-visual materials
- Periodicals including popular magazines, print newspapers and print journals
- Outdated materials including textbooks and reference books
- Mass market paperbacks and most fiction materials
- Self-published materials
- The library will accept hard and softcover books in some academic disciplines and is always interested in any item that has a connection to the university, city or local area (Bay Area Region, Michigan, etc.)
- If possible, please contact the Library Director or Research and Collection Development Librarian beforehand and either provide a list of the items you would like to donate or some type of general description of what is included. This will allow the library an opportunity to give you an honest evaluation ahead of time of whether or not the library might be interested in the material.
- Book donations are typically dropped off at the circulation desk. Please fill out a gift donation form when you drop off your donation. The form is a signed agreement covering the basic rules regarding donations. It also addresses requests for an electronic book plate if the donated material is added to the collection.
- All donated materials become the property of SVSU’s Zahnow Library unless otherwise noted. The gift items go through a review process to determine the usefulness for the library’s collection. Please be aware that for all donated items the library maintains the right to discard or donate the items elsewhere at any time, now or in the future.
- The Zahnow Library cannot appraise gifts or donations or answer any tax related donation questions. The librarians on staff can assist you in finding online book dealers or auctions to try and get an idea of what an item may be worth. If the donation is thought to be worth a significant amount of money the library may help the donor try and locate a professional appraiser before any decision is made.
- For any questions about donations to the Melvin J. Zahnow Library please contact either the Library Director or Research and Collection Development Librarian.