Union Presbyterian Seminary Library

Thank you very much for considering donating books to our library! Because our collection is large and space in both our campus libraries is limited, and because we want to ensure that your books will be used, we are only able to accept donations that meet the following criteria:

1. Books must be completely free of mold or mildew, as these are contagious to other books and thus dangerous to the Library’s collection. Please note that the small rust-colored marks called “foxing” on book pages is caused by mold. We cannot accept books that are dirty, brittle, burnt, or water-damaged.
2. Books must have publication dates within the last 20 years. Older books than this are likely to be either too out of date for our students to use or, if they are classics in their field, duplicates in our collection. Note: antique books which may be suitable for our Rare Books collection will likely have been published before 1800.
3. Books must be directly relevant to seminary studies or the practice of ministry. Other types of books are outside the scope of our collection.
4. Books should be very lightly marked or highlighted, if at all. We are not able to accept books that are extensively marked, highlighted, or which contain marginal notes.
5. For large donations, a title list (including author, title, and publication date) is gratefully appreciated, as it will allow us to assess in advance which books we are able to accept.

Contact Information

• To provide details about the size, scope, and currency of materials you wish to donate, and to schedule a time to donate books that meet the above criteria, please contact:
  • Charlotte Campus Librarian Chris Bates – bates@upsem.edu/980-636-1665.
    • Please note: Due to the smaller size of the Charlotte campus library, please limit your donations to no more than a dozen volumes.
  • Richmond Circulation Supervisor Rev. Lisa Janes – janes@upsem.edu/804-273-4335
• If you have specific questions about donations which are not addressed here, please contact Seminary Librarian Dr. Robin McCall – mccall@upsem.edu/804-278-4311.
• If you have questions about donating materials for the Rare Books collection, please contact Archivist Ryan Douthat – douthat@upsem.edu / 804-278-4217.

What happens to donated books?

When we accept book donations to our Library, we first go through them to see whether we are missing them in our collection, or whether we can replace a worn copy with a newer one. If we cannot use a donated book in our collection, we will make it available for free to students on the campus at which you donated the book. If they are not claimed within six months, we will recycle them. UPSem Library reserves the right to decline material and to determine retention, cataloging treatment, location, and terms of use for the material accepted, and will decline donations if there are donor restrictions the Library cannot honor.