Donate to the Georgia Tech Library

The Georgia Tech Library benefits from donations of materials that support the teaching and research activities of the Institute as well as monetary gifts. The Library holds more than 6 million books, journal volumes and other items. This has been achieved because of material and monetary support of the campus administration and other friends of the Institute.

Donated gifts-in-kind have often helped to enhance the collection, particularly during periods when the Institute has been facing tighter budget constraints. Gifts of books and other materials, including faculty papers and related artifacts, can contribute a great deal to supplementing the Library’s acquisitions efforts.

Donations that are geared towards new programs or new initiatives can be enormously helpful in jump-starting the building of new collections. Presently, the Library is trying to build up its circulating Science Fiction collection, as well as trying to collect materials to support LMC’s new program in Film Studies. Individual gifts and gift collections in these areas are especially welcome.

Although donations are always welcome, the Library has limited storage capacity, and is therefore unable to add all donated material to our holdings. Donated material is carefully reviewed, and that material which is considered to best meet the needs of our university is selected. For subject area materials, please contact the appropriate subject librarian for assistance in reviewing your collection. Arrangements can be made to pick up donated items from on-campus locations.

When accepted, gifts become the property of the Georgia Tech Library with the understanding that they are to be used for the benefit of the Library. The Library reviews all gift material to determine retention, location, cataloging and other issues related to the gift’s use or disposition. Items that cannot be added to our collection are often sent to Better World Books, an agency which collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. A portion of the proceeds from this agency are returned to the Library, and are used to help build our collections. Upon request, items can also be returned to the donor, if they are not added to our Library’s collection. This request must be made at the time of the donation.

Gifts will be acknowledged in writing. It is, however, the donor’s responsibility to create an itemized inventory, if needed for tax purposes (a Gift Materials Receipt Form is available for your use). When requested, gifts placed in the Library will be identified with a donor gift plate and included in the Library’s online catalog. Cash donations to help expedite processing as well as defray the costs of maintaining the material are greatly appreciated.