The College Library encourages the
donation of professional and scholarly books and other materials that fall within
the general scope of the Library's Collection Development Policy and that are
appropriate to the Library's role in meeting the academic mission of the College.
Gifts are evaluated on the basis of present academic need, scholarly value,
and physical condition. As
a general rule, the Library does not accept magazines, textbooks, mass market
paperbacks, books in poor physical condition, or materials that do not contribute
to the academic mission of the College. All donations will be acknowledged
in writing at time of receipt, regardless of their ultimate disposition.
Advice to Donors
The mission of the College Library
is to support student and faculty research and teaching. The academic value
of donated materials depends on the authority, accuracy, and timeliness of content
and on its relevance to the academic programs at McDaniel College. The dollar value of antiquarian
or used books, however, reflects a different set of variables, such as:
- Market interest: competition
among dealers and collectors determines market values. Interest in individual
authors may vary from year to year and auction prices for their works may
fluctuate unpredictably. In the final analysis, a book is worth exactly the
price that it can command at auction or direct sale.
- Condition: collectors prize
as artifacts books and their dust jackets in original, pristine condition.
- Association: an inscribed copy
presented by an author to a notable person is often highly desirable to collectors
and may command a premium price.
- Scarcity: books produced in
quantity and for the mass market have by definition no scarcity value, nor
does age alone enhance the value of books, especially machine made books manufactured
since the mid-1800's and printed on high-acid wood pulp paper.
As the recipient, the Library
is an interested party and may not perform appraisals of gifts for tax, inheritance,
or other purposes but will provide to potential donors a list of qualified
appraisers on request. Appraisals must be completed before the gift is transferred
to the College.
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