Donation of Materials
The Lehigh University Libraries appreciates inquiries about donations of books or other materials in support of the University's teaching and research. In order to properly assess the materials before adding them to the collection, the Libraries request that donors provide a list that includes the titles, authors, and the condition of the materials. Due to limited shelf space, we cannot accept every item, but donations are an important part of the Libraries’ development.
We will consider donations of materials in the following categories:
• Copies of often-used titles to replace damaged or missing items
• Books covering local and regional topics, particularly about Bethlehem and Lehigh University
• Publications by Lehigh faculty and alumni
• Materials relevant to academic research, teaching, and learning
• Special Collections materials
All donations are reviewed by librarians and require approval before materials are formally accepted. After review the libraries accept donations with the understanding that the materials become the property of Lehigh University. Therefore, Lehigh University reserves the right to determine the retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to the use of the material.
In order to facilitate the processing and housing of materials, we encourage donors to also consider providing monetary gifts that will directly support the Lehigh Libraries so that users will be able to access and use these important collections as quickly as possible, in addition to providing for additional materials. Decisions to accept in-kind donations are informed by the availability of resources to manage said inbound materials.
We always gladly provide a gift acknowledgement letter to all donors upon request.