General Description

Donation and exchange are some alternatives which exist to obtain information resources, thus supplying the libraries' stores. Donation is the process in which a person, organization or institution provides a library with information resources that meet the library's goals and objectives, free of charge. The exchange of resources allows libraries to obtain materials that are not available through purchase or other means. This process also makes duplicate materials available for exchange with other libraries.

Donations of books and other materials may be accepted, but the library is not committed to make a place for them, and it is understood that these resources are not necessarily part of the collection. The same criteria used for selecting materials are used to evaluate donated resources.

Policy

1.  The donor's first contact is with the library director and the responsibility for receiving and evaluating donated resources will rest with the library staff in Collection Development.

2.     Donations with donor restrictions are accepted if they are established as special collections. In the meantime, the library does not provide special facilities in which to place them.

3.     Donations which meet the goals and objectives of the library are accepted; the criteria used in the purchase of resources apply here as well.

4.     Once the resources have been accepted, the library becomes their absolute owner; therefore, it may dispose of them in the manner it deems most convenient.

5.     Acceptance of printed donations will be subject to the following criteria:

·       physical condition

·       Relevance to the institution's curriculum

·       edition and date of publication

6.     Classic works of fiction, works by contemporary writers of international fame and works by Puerto Rican authors are accepted after consideration of the physical condition of the resource and of the space available.

7.     Donations must be accompanied by a list including title, author, and date of publication. In addition, it must include the name, address, and telephone number of the donor.

8.     If the donated resource is already available in the collection, the most recent edition will be retained, or the copy in better physical condition.

9.     If there are multiple copies of the donated resource, the additional copy is sent to another UAGM library, if the resource meets the criteria previously mentioned (Please refer to item #5).