As of 2/1/16 Collection Management no longer provides a monetary evaluation of donated materials to the donor.  The evaluation is for campus use only.

Overriding criteria:

• How much could a bookstore sell it for?

• Be slightly conservative: evaluation, must be defensible to the IRS.

General:

Use independent evaluation if:

• Apparently rare books or journals are involved.

•  Donor wants to arrange such an evaluation.

• If total value is anticipated to be over $5,000.00.

Independent evaluations are normally the responsibility of the donor.

For in house evaluation $1.00 for hardback and substantive paperbacks, $.50 for bulk paperbacks.  (as of 2/2016)

I.  New Books

• Try to find list price by searching these online book dealers (there may be others to try as well) : 

  • Amazon

  • B&N

  • AddAll Books

• If price unknown:

  •  Hardbound $25

  •  Paperback $10 (scholarly), $3 (popular)

  •  Make exceptions when warranted.

II.  Used Books

• Hardbound

  •  If ordinary, popular books or worn condition, or outdated text.  (e.g. Most texts 10-30 years old), evaluate at $5.

  • If more serious, average condition and likely to be useful, evaluate at $10 to $20.

  • Make exceptions when warranted.

•  Paperback

  • Pocket format paperbacks, some light fiction and others not suitable to add to the collection, evaluate at $2.

  •  Other paperbacks evaluate at $4 to $10, depending on original cost and condition.

•  Reasons to vary from this policy
  
  

  •  Books damaged beyond usability evaluate at zero.  Those in poor condition should be prorated.

  •  Books stamped as review copy or proofreading copy - evaluate at zero - these books will not be added.

  •  Books of possible historical or rare book value may be rated higher - consult with Special Collections Librarian.

  •  Books of obvious greater initial cost (e.g. art books, scientific treatises) will be rated higher.

III.  Serials:

• Complete vols.:      1/3 to 2/3 (normally half) of subscription price for latest issue donated.

• Incomplete vols.:   1/4 to 1/3 of subscription price, prorated according to percent of volume present.  Normally, a single missing issue cuts the value of that value in half.  Deduct a little more for each additional missing issue.

• Very Misc. Issues.: 10c to $1.00 each, depending on title.  In most cases, use rough estimate, lumping all such issues together - do not do an issue by issue evaluation. 

• Try to round to nearest $5.00.

Exceptions:    

•  Very new issues (i.e. current year)- give up appraise as full subscription price.

•   Rare materials - consult.

•  Very common Journals, e.g.  Newsweek, National Geographic, etc. - use lower values.    do not accept

IV.  Records: ARE NOT ACCEPTED

V.    CDs:

• Used - Evaluate at two-thirds of list price.

VI.    Government Documents and Pamphlets:

If books or journals, use guidelines above.  Pamphlets:  Zero to $1.00 each unless higher cost is indicated or unless:

• Rare

•  Still useful-and especially hard to get now.  Never more than $5.00 without consultation.

For large pamphlet donation, check a sample of them and have evaluation on estimated numbers and average estimated value.  - do not accept.

VII.    Photographs:

Head of Special Collections should evaluate (and initial the evaluations at some point in the process) unless expecting the evaluation to be more than $5,000 in virtue of value rather than sheer number of photos.

10/4/90, revised 1/9/09 RBM  revised 7/12/16 RBM

I:ILL/CM/CM MANUAL/CM/GIFTS/EVAL.DOCS