Donating Books, Journals, and other Materials to the USF Libraries

Acceptance of Donated Materials

At the USF Libraries, our top priority is to provide a wealth of electronic and print resources to help our students, faculty and community be successful in their research endeavors.  All potential gifts will be carefully evaluated by collection management librarians, who will make a determination regarding the suitability of these materials for addition to the library’s research collections.

The following suitability factors listed below will be considered regarding potential donations to the USF Libraries:
  • Academic titles that are highly relevant to the teaching and research needs of the university;
  • Materials that are within the scope of existing collecting priorities, which have lasting research value;
  • Unique titles that are not already owned by the library (this includes both in print or electronic format);
  • Materials that are in good, clean, usable physical condition.
Materials designated for Special Collections must be:
  • Within the scope of existing collecting priorities;
  • Scholarly or historically significant;
  • Able to support curriculum development, student learning and engagement, faculty research, and community interest;
  • in good, clean, usable physical condition without restrictions or access limitations
The materials below are outside of the current collection scope of the USF Libraries:
  • Textbooks
  • Previous editions of currently held titles
  • Materials that have any hint of mold, mildew, smoke, or pest infestation
  • Materials with broken spines, loose pages, dog-eared pages
  • Materials that contain highlighting, underlining, or annotations
  • Materials with noticeable foxing, brown, tan brittle pages
  • Materials affected by humidity with warped, curled pages, and brown spots.
  • United States government publications
  • Outdated legal, medical, or reference materials
  • Popular magazines or newspapers
  • Print journals, unless the title completes a run of journals already owned that is not available electronically
  • Popular fiction
  • Trade/mass-market paperbacks
  • Practical “how-to” guides
  • Obsolete formats, such as LPs, filmstrips, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, etc.
  • Electronic materials requiring dated or specialized software
  • Materials which might cause the library to be liable for copyright infringement

Procedure for Donating Books and Journals to the USF Libraries

After reviewing the criteria outlined under Acceptance of Donated Material, the steps below outline our donation process.

  1. Please make a list of all of the materials that meet the stated criteria under Acceptance of Donated Material
  2. For books: Include the author and title of each book and the ISBN number, if possible.
  3. For journals: include the title of the journal, the volume numbers, and the ISSN number, if possible.
  4. Send the complete list to the USF Libraries either by mail or via email.
    USF Libraries – Tampa campus
    By email: John Abresch, jabresch@usf.edu By mail:
    USF Tampa Library
    4202 E. Fowler Ave., LIB 122
    Tampa, FL 33620
    ATTN: John Abresch
    Collections & Discovery
    USF Libraries – St. Petersburg campus
    By email:  Christine Dunleavy, cdunleavy@usf.edu By mail:
    Nelson Poynter Memorial Library
    140 7th Avenue South,
    St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5016
    ATTN: Christine Dunleavy
    Collection Development & Technical Services
  5. After reviewing the materials on the list, you will be contacted by the USF Libraries.
  6. If approved, you will receive a confirmation email or letter from the USF Libraries, letting you know which materials the library will be able to accept.
  7. Arrangements will be made for a mutually agreeable time for the donation to be received by the library.
  8. Kindly bring a copy of the signed approval when you bring your donation to the library.

Procedure for Donating Materials to the USF Libraries Special Collections

After reviewing the criteria outlined under Acceptance of Donated Material, please contact Tomaro Taylor (tomaro@usf.edu) Head of Special Collections at the Tampa campus library or Alexandra Vargas-Minor (acv@usf.edu, 727-873-4094) at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, St. Petersburg campus, to discuss the materials you wish to donate. To facilitate the discussion, please prepare the following information:

  1. An inventory or overview that highlights collection scope and demonstrates how the materials enhance, support, or complement major collecting priorities.
  2. An approximation of collection size (e.g., number of books, boxes, or digital records).
  3. Clear digital photographs that show the current condition of materials.

Your donation may be tax-deductible. Gifts and donations to Special Collections are coordinated with the USF Libraries Office of Development. Please contact Christina Wisz (cwisz@usf.edu), Associate Director of Development, for more information.

Information for Prospective Donors