Book Donations

IDC Library Material Donation Policy

Policy Owner: Islamic Dawah Center
Policy Name: Donation
Policy #: 2.1
Effective Date: July 2015
Version: #1

Policy Statement

The policy addresses the following: Describes the roles and responsibilities to accept donations made to the IDC Library.

The IDC Library aims to provide the latest library technologies and materials. The library is building general and specialized resources on Islamic knowledge to support the information needs of its users, and the broader community. The Library selectively accepts new or used books, journals and audio-visual materials (materials according to its subject profile) that support the mission, goals and objectives.

Policy Reason

The reason for this policy is for followings: the underlining basis for the policy, the responsibilities for involvers, and any legal reasons for policy.

Definitions

Any terms used in the policy, unfamiliar, technical terms, and terms that have specialized meaning.

Donation: A voluntary transfer of property or money without the expectation that any benefit will accrue to the donor or anyone designated by the donor.

Donor: An individual, organization, or foundation that makes a monetary or contribution to the Library.

Gift: A voluntary transfer of real or personal property without any consideration to the Library.

Library Materials: Include items in the library’s collections in any format.

Procedures & Process

The library selectively accepts new or used books, journals and audio-visual materials (materials according to its subject profile) that support the mission, goals and objectives of the Islamic Dawah Center Library. The library accepts gifts and donations in the subject area of Islamic knowledge and related fields.

Donations and gifts to the IDC Library is accepted as followings:

The subject area of Islamic Knowledge and related fields.

For International Section:
about a country (in English language).

  • Geography, history, government, area, population, language, historical places, art, architecture (e.g. mosque), food culture.

  • Ethnicity/race, Religion.

  • Works of most prominent Muslims and Scholars (on their own language).

Condition of Donation

The IDC Library accepts materials in very good/ good condition for the collection. The following conditions are not acceptable:

  • Materials with torn, yellowed, brittle pages

  • Damaged bindings

  • Dirty, dusty, stained, water damaged items

  • Materials with highlighting, notes

  • Scratched or worn media

  • Duplicate materials are generally rejected

  • DVDs and CDs are accepted; VHS is not

  • Individual journal and serial issues are rejected

The acceptance of a certain material to the collection is dependent upon the conditions listed below:

A list of donations/an inventory –if it exists – is requested from the donor in order to compare the list with the library catalogue. In the absence of an inventory, the donations are seen and reviewed in its own place (depending on the size. If the material is composed of a few boxes, then they are transported to the library directly) If their conditions are good and subjects are suitable to the collection, the donation is accepted.

For accepted large donations, a donation contract is signed mutually by the parties and the contracts are kept.

The library has to be selective as regards to each type of donation. Once the donation is accepted, the library has the entitlement to make the most convenient decision about it. The materials, which have not been found suitable for the library, are primarily sent to the other libraries and institutes.

The accepted material needs to be clean, without notes and drawings in its pages, well-preserved/fixed, related to the education/research needs of users at present and in the future and it needs to comply with the required copyright and license conditions.

Those materials given by the newspapers as promotions can not be accepted if their publications show differences of paper, publication and content qualities.

The donations have to comply with license, copyright and other conditions.

Since there is electronic access to many periodicals, the library is more selective as regards to the donation of periodicals. Usually, periodicals covering a period of less than 5 years and periodicals with discontinued issues are not preferred. However, the library may review such donations to fill the gaps in its collection and to change the issues in its collection with better-conditioned ones.

Donation of periodicals purchased by individual subscriptions is not accepted. The request that the donation be kept in a separate, special space or together in open shelves can be accepted under no circumstances.

Disposition of Donations

The IDC Library has all the rights to accept or discard any donated materials.

Donated materials that will not add to the collection can be sold in book fairs sponsored by the IDC Library.

Any donations not usable in the above ways will be disposed of in a responsible manner, including paper-recycling efforts.

Acknowledgments

A letter of acknowledgment will be sent to the donor upon request. The letter will acknowledge the number of donated materials only. The donors are responsible for a detailed list if they want it in the letter. Donations and gifts will be identified with appropriate signage, bookplates, and/or in the online catalog.

Donations and Tax Benefits

Librarians/Libraries cannot value donated materials by law. Upon request, a letter acknowledging the donation will be given to the donor. This letter can be used for tax purposes.

Guidelines and tax forms can be found at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website.

Non-cash Charitable Contributions — IRS Form 8283

Charitable Contributions — Publications 526

How Can I Make A Donation?

You may send your questions about donations to library@islamicdawahcenter.org