Skip to Main Content

Collection Development and Maintenance

Donations of Books and Other Print Material

OSU Libraries is not able to accept donations of printed books, journals and other materials. This policy reflects the need to repurpose library space to support individual and group study and is a result of the high cost of sorting, reviewing, and processing donated materials. Materials that are left that do not fall within policy exceptions will be sent directly to OSU Surplus.

There are three exceptions to this policy:

  1. The OSU Libraries welcomes gifts of books written by OSU faculty that are not currently in our general collection. Please email valley.collections@oregonstate.edu with inquiries.

  2. As a selective library in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), we collect materials published by agencies within the federal government as determined by the distributed housing arrangement with three other libraries in Oregon. We will accept federal document materials within our range of the housing arrangement that are not currently in our collection. For further information, contact valley.collections@oregonstate.edu.

  3. As a core component of its mission, the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) reviews potential donations of personal papers, university records, and other unique or rare materials for inclusion in SCARC's holdings. SCARC will only accept donations coordinated by and given directly to a SCARC staff member. Materials attempted to be left with the library's main floor staff will not be accepted; they will be given directly to Surplus. See SCARC's gift guidelines (linked below) and policies or contact SCARC by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu.

Monetary Gifts

Although OSU Libraries does not accept unsolicited or anonymous material donations for the general collection, monetary gifts are always welcome. If you would like to learn more about donating monetary gifts to the OSU Libraries, please visit the Giving to OSU Libraries webpage.

Other Options for Donating Books

If you are interested in donating your textbooks and other course materials, consider contacting the OSU Basic Needs Center (formerly Human Services Resource Center).

Another option available to OSU employees and students is to donate books to OSU Surplus Property. Call 541-737-7347 or use their pickup request form.

Check out the links below for donation alternatives for community members unaffiliated with OSU (not an exhaustive list).

Policy Information

This policy was last reviewed March 2022.