Portland State Library welcomes donations of books, periodicals, journals, and monetary gifts that will strengthen collections and services for students, faculty, and researchers.

Giving to Portland State Library

Portland State Library actively seeks gifts to provide additional materials and services that might not otherwise be available to students and facutly. Go to Giving to Portland State Library to view the available Library funds and use our online form to customize your gift, make a pledge, or add to a current endowment.

Donating Materials to the Library

Portland State Library seeks high quality books of scientific, scholarly, literary, or artistic substance. We also accept compact disks, scores, slides, photographs, videos/dvds, and manuscripts. We do not generally add popular magazines or mass market paperbacks or textbooks to our collection; however, we do accept gifts of these materials with the understanding that the Library will sell them via a third party vendor or during one of our book sales.

Ownership and Use of Gifts

Upon receipt, gifts become the possession of the Library. As owner, the Library has the right to determine retention, location, circulation, and all other considerations relating to storage, shelving, use or disposition. Materials are evaluated first in the gifts department for condition and value and then by guidelines established by the librarians on the Library's Information Resources Management Council. If materials are deemed appropriate, librarians with subject specialization determine whether to make additions to the collection. If the subject specialist decides against adding the material, it will be routed to a third-party vendor for sale or retained until the Library has its next book sale.

Book Sales

Two to three times per year the Library holds book sales. Proceeds from the sale of materials help to support library programs and services. We also donate some of the remainders from the sale to local charities, schools, and similar organizations with programs that can make use of the material. 

Making a Donation

Donations can be dropped off at the Circulation Desk on the first floor of Millar Library. Please make sure that your name and address are included so that an acknowledgement can be sent to you. If you wish to make a sizable donation of materials, please contact Josh Hancock, Gifts Supervisor, at hancock@pdx.edu or 503-725-4579 and make arrangements for pick up, drop off, or assistance.

Tax Information

Portland State Library encourages donors to discuss prospective donations and appraisals with their attorneys or tax specialists prior to making their donations. Donors also are encouraged to consult the website of the Internal Revenue Service (http://www.irs.gov/formspub/index.html). You might find the following information especially valuable:

Form 8283: Noncash Charitable Contributions and the Instructions for Form 8283

Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property

Publication 526: Charitable Contributions

In general, fair market value of a gift-in-kind is deductible. A donation within a tax year valued at $250.00 or more requires a written acknowledgment from the recipient. If the donation is valued at more than $5000.00, the donor must obtain a qualified appraisal. A copy of the appraisal must also be given to the recipient along with any appropriate IRS forms. The donor must submit this appraisal summary with the tax return claiming the deduction. The acceptance of a gift appraised by a third and disinterested party does not in any way imply an endorsement of the appraisal by the Library.

Appraisals

The Library is unable to provide appraisals for gifts we will be receiving; the Internal Revenue Service regards the Library as an interested party. Appraisals are the responsibility of the donor. We will be happy to assist donors in locating qualified appraisers. Keep in mind that most appraisers charge for their services.  Below is a brief list of professional appraisers in the area.  Please note that the Library will not be held responsible for the services provided by anyone on this list, nor will the Library be held responsible for any omissions from the list.

Charles Seluzicki, owner Fine & Rare Books  3733 NE 24th Ave Portland, OR U.S.A. 97212-1514 503-284-4749 (phone and fax) cselubks@teleport.com Specialties: Irish Literature, French Literature, Russian & Eastern European Literature, Poetry, Signed Books, Fine Press, First Editions, History of Ideas, Film, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath	Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Manuscripts PO Box 504 2205 Nut Tree Lane McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503-472-0476 (phone) 800-962-6666 503-472-5029 (fax) pirages@onlinemac.com Specialties: Early Printing, Bindings, Fine Illustrated Books, English & American Literature, Illuminated Manuscripts, Press Books, Rare Books
Phil Wikelund, owner John Henley, manager Great Northwest Books 3314 SW First Ave Portland, OR 97239-4605 503-223-8098 http://www.greatnorthwestbooks.com/ Specialties: Americana and Western literature	Jacqueline Joseph 921 SW Washington St Portland, OR 97205 503-227-3411 jjoseph@jjhandwriting.com Specialties: Document authentication
Will Moulton Mile High Comics 2151 W 56th Ave Denver CO 80221 800-676-6423 (Monday - Friday 8am-5pm (MST)) 303-477-5315 (fax) moulton@milehighcomics.com Specialties: Graphic novels, comics, manga	Antiquarian Booksellers of America (ABAA) 20 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036 212.944.8291 (phone) 212.944.8293 (fax) http://www.abaa.org/books/abaa/index.html ABAA is a trade association for rare booksellers and does not buy, sell or appraise books, but its members do. Please visit http://www.abaa.org/books/abaa/databases/bookseller_search.html to search for booksellers in your area.

Acknowledgement

The Library acknowledges gifts it receives unless specifically asked not to. Each acknowledgement provides a brief numerical description of the donation but does not include a monetary value, which must be determined by the donor. Usually, the acknowledgement does not include a comprehensive list of the donated materials, unless the list is supplied by the donor.

Special Arrangements

The Library may be able to make special arrangements to pick up sizable donations but these must be scheduled in advance. If possible, donated materials should be boxed and ready to pick up and clearly labeled with donor's name and address.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding gifts of materials to the Library, or need to make arrangements for a pick up, please contact Josh Hancock, Gifts Supervisor, 503-725-4579, hancock@pdx.edu. For information about donating funds, please contact Helen Spalding, University Librarian, 503-725-4521, spalding@pdx.edu