Books/Materials We Accept:

As our space is limited and we are not a research library, the Purchase College Library considers condition and currency as prime factors in accepting and evaluating donations.

We will accept the following items: 

  • Hardcover nonfiction and fiction
  • Paperback fiction and nonfiction
  • Academic Monographs
  • Artists’ books
  • Music scores (full, orchestral, conductor, vocal w/ piano, etc.) 

Books/Materials We DO NOT Accept: 

Please DO NOT send any of the following:

  • Academic Journals (full runs or individual issues)
  • Activity Books (coloring, crossword, etc.)
  • Auction records
  • Books Published by Magazines (Time/Life, e.g.)
  • Book Club Editions
  • Case Law and Procedural Law Books
  • CDs (as of 2/1/2022)
  • Custom Course Packets
  • Directories or Telephone Books
  • DVDs (as of 2/1/2022)
  • Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia Britannica, World Book, Comptons, or Incomplete Sets
  • Music Cassettes, Laserdiscs or 8-track tapes, 16 mm film, or other obsolete formats
  • Marquis Who’s Who
  • Multiple copies of the same item (limit to 3)
  • Open Software Sets
  • Periodicals or magazines (i.e. National Geographic)
  • Playbills, either sets or individual copies
  • Reader’s Digest Condensed
  • Sheet Music 
  • Tax or Government Documents
  • Textbooks 
  • VHS (videocassettes)
  • Vinyl/LPs (as of 2/1/2022) 

Condition

Please DO NOT send any materials in the following condition:

  • Dirty
  • Moldy
  • Mildewed
  • Water Damaged
  • Damaged pages or binding
  • Missing Covers or Pages
  • ANY writings, markings, or highlighting
  • Cut Out Library Treatments
  • Warped (softcover books)

Currency

Depending on the field or discipline, monographs can become outdated or irrelevant within a certain time period. We will not accept books whose date of publication or copyright  falls outside of certain timeframes. Examples include:

  • Psychology: within the last 20 years
  • Social Sciences: within the last 20 years
  • Art: within the last 50 years
  • Computer Science: within the last 10 years
  • Sciences: within the last 10 years

Acceptance

General rule: If you would not want this item on your shelf, chances are we don’t either.

Once books are accepted, we consider one of four actions:

  1. Add to our holdings, based on need, relevancy, and condition
  2. Discard because of poor condition, irrelevancy, or duplication in the collection, in accordance with New York State guidelines
  3. Sell in the bi-annual Library book sale or bi-annual Music Sale
  4. Ship to BetterworldBooks.  If the materials are in good condition but determined not to be included in our holdings, we will ship them to BetterworldBooks for recycling. 

We are unable to provide receipts for tax purposes.  We will send a letter of acknowledgement for the donations. Acknowledgment of donations via bookplates can be done upon request.

The Library does not appraise donations or attest in any way to the value of the materials.    If donors want an appraisal, they need to make their own arrangements before delivering the materials to us.

Consult with the Library Director before accepting any large or potentially valuable donation.   The Library has to adhere to College and State guidelines when the value reaches certain thresholds.    

Arrangements

After reviewing the donations policy, if potential donors feel their donations meet all initial criteria for acceptance, arrangements must be made in advance for large donations (more than several boxes) to ensure there is adequate space and staff time available to manage the donation.

We DO NOT pick up donations at an outside location. Donors are asked to bring their materials to campus and meet with a library staff person at the Lincoln underpass near UPD. 

Alternatives

  1. BetterworldBooks or online booksellers
  2. Local public libraries: Westchester Library System (WLS) or Connecticut public libraries 
  3. For WLS, try White Plains Public Library or Greenburgh Public Library.
  4. Independent booksellers
  5. Recycling Centers

For questions or inquiries, contact:

Library Director’s Office: lib.director@purchase.edu.

 Phone: (914) 251-6435