Gifts Procedures for Gifts Staff
Preview of Proposed Gift Materials
When the potential gift is large enough and has a defined subject area, the appropriate Collection Manager contacts the donor. The Collection Manager triesto respond promptly to the donor, and if necessary, goes in person to preview the gift before the Libraries officially accepts it.
Acceptance of Proposed Gift Materials
Either the Gifts & Exchange Librarian, Gifts staff, Director of Development , a representative of the Library Directors Office, or the Collection Manager responsible for review, are responsible for accepting gift offers. If the libraries do not accept a gift offer, staff will provide information to the donor on other possible donees.
Freezing & Fumigation of Gift Materials
Gifts staff routes gift materials showing signs of mold or mildew to the libraries' Preservation Department for freezing. Gift materials showing signs of bug infestation are routed to the U. F. Pest Control Service for fumigation.
Receipt of Unsolicited Donations
Library staff in the branches, mailroom areas, Directors Office, Acquisitions Department, and other points of receipt, routes unsolicited donations of collection materials – either delivered in person or received in the mail - to the Gifts program (complete with original packaging) for searching and processing.
As needed, Collection Managers evaluate gifts for possible inclusion into the collections from the review shelves located in the Gifts office. Gifts staff and student assistants search each gift item on Aleph and fill out a Preview/Selection slip with appropriate information for the dispositional review. Collection management decisions must be timely and recorded on the Preview/Selection slips. When a backlog of gift materials becomes a problem, the Gifts & Exchange Librarian conducts review and selection of the materials.
The Gifts staff produce and send an official letter of acknowledgement and gratitude for all gifts to the Smathers Libraries, unless a donor elects to remain anonymous or declines the letter. The letter includes vital information regarding the gift, including the name and address of the donor, a full count and in-depth description of the materials, and the date of the donation. This letter is proof of the gift and can be used for IRS tax purposes . Sometimes a department, branch library, or Collection Manager receiving a materials donation may elect to write and send the donor a letter of acknowledgement that includes a more personal thank you.
1. When appropriate, unsolicited gifts received through the mail are accepted with an acknowledgement letter sent by the Gifts staff.
2. Gifts brought to the Libraries in person will be acknowledged with a letter signed by the G & E Librarian; or in some instances by the Collection Manager, branch library representative, or library department receiving the materials.
3. More valuable collections or donations given by a repeat donor will be acknowledged with a letter signed by the Director of Libraries or other Director if appropriate.
The Gifts program keeps on file a copy of acknowledgement letters and a descriptive list of substantial donations. For formerly appraised gift donations,the Gifts program holds all materials not directly added to the collections for five years, as required by IRS tax codes . This program forwards annually a copy of the descriptive list of donations to the Director of Development for UF Foundation records and development purposes.
Purpose :
The purpose of this document is to establish a policy concerning the reservation and authorized use of library vehicles.
1. Reserving Vans
The Gifts staff must reserve a van, but it is at the discretion of the library Facilities Department when vans are available.
2. Authorized Drivers
In the Gifts program, only the librarian and staff have the authorization to operate a van for gift pickups. Staff must possess a valid driver's license and be employees of the University of Florida Smathers Libraries. The Facilities Department reserves the right to deny the use of the vans to anyone who demonstrates negligence or does not meet the above criteria.
3. Vehicle Log Books
The Facilities Department maintains the vehicle logbooks. Before receiving the keys, all drivers must sign out a van and include in the log: the time the van is checked out, the odometer mileage, and any student assistants accompanying the driver. When returning the van, the driver must record the time and the new odometer reading. The logbooks are legal documents and all information recorded must be timely and accurate.
4. Traffic Violations
Drivers are responsible for adhering to all traffic laws. The Library will not be responsible for any traffic violations incurred during a pickup. Individual drivers will be responsible for payment of all traffic violations and may lose driving privileges.
5. Van Problems
Note any mechanical problems encountered with the vans on a discrepancy form found in the back of the log book.
