Gift Acceptance Policy

The acceptance of gift materials (gifts-in-kind) in whatever format—scores, recordings, books, journals, etc.—for the circulating collections of Sibley Music Library is at the discretion of the Head Librarian, or the Head of Acquisitions and Serials. We cannot accept any materials that have not been discussed in advance with the Head Librarian, or the Head of Acquisitions and Serials. (See the webpage of the Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections Department for a separate gift acceptance policy for that department of Sibley Music Library.)

We will add gift materials to the collections only when, in our judgment, there is likely to be a clear benefit to current and future Eastman School of Music students and faculty, who are the primary users of the Sibley Music Library. Similarly, we evaluate potential gifts in light of the curricula of the Eastman School of Music, and accept gifts only when, in our judgment, such gift materials will play a role in supporting the curricula of the Eastman School of Music.

Constraints of space and staff time normally prohibit accepting entire gift collections, for that action often results in accepting items that duplicate existing holdings. Rather, we require a full inventory of the items being offered (at minimum: composer/performer/author, title, publisher, and date of publication). If we accept such a list for bibliographic searching against our holdings, we will identify to the prospective donor those items that we deem useful to the Sibley Music Library collections, and we would accept only those items as gifts.

• We do not accept 78 rpm recordings or tape recordings (whether reel-to-reel or cassette). We accept LP recordings only very selectively.
• We do not accept items that are moldy, mildewed, water-damaged, or incomplete.
• If the donor wishes to claim an accepted donation as an income tax deduction, it is the donor’s responsibility to establish a value or obtain a professional appraisal prior to the donation.
• When we accept donated materials we will provide the donor (within six weeks of delivery of the gift) a letter of acknowledgement stating the total number of items donated (by format, e.g., scores, recordings, books, etc.). We do not provide itemized lists.
• It is the responsibility of the donor to bring or send accepted materials to Sibley Music Library, 27 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604. We do not have the budgetary resources to pay for shipping of gift materials, nor do we have staff members or institutional equipment (e.g., a van) to pick up gift materials

Summary:

Gift materials are accepted only when they benefit the collections of the Sibley Music Library, and without any conditions or “strings attached.” We reserve the right to discard any items that, in our judgment, are in poor condition or otherwise a poor fit for the Sibley Music Library collections.

November 2011