[Original posting on this topic is reproduced below; the responses follow it.]
From: Catherine.Reiter_at_UCHSC.edu
Our controllers are changing university policy regarding accepting
donations of gifts-in-kind such as used books/journals donated to the
library. We will be required to assess the value of gift books we add
to
the collection and report the total value of gifts-in-kind received
annually to the controllers. We can use a generic value for each gift
book
(except for any item we think is worth $5,000+). Has anyone out there
come
up with an "average" cost for a donated book?? I'd be interested to
hear
how others deal with this issue. Thanks!
Catherine
Catherine M. Reiter, MA, AHIP
Head of Collection Development and Assistant Professor
Denison Memorial Library
Box A-003, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
4200 East Ninth Avenue / Denver, CO 80262-0003 / 303-315-6444 /
<mailto:Catherine.Reiter_at_uchsc.edu>Catherine.Reiter_at_uchsc.edu
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(1) From: Linwood DeLong <linwood.delong_at_uwinnipeg.ca>
Subject: Re: CDL-Assessing the value of gift books/journals
We divide books into roughly three categories: hard cover books, trade
paperbacks (for example from university presses or other scholarly
institutions), and mass market paperbacks. We have a value for each
of these. If a book is very new (within the last two years or so), we
would give it full value; after that, for about the next 5 years, we
would deduct 25%.
It's not a perfect system, but we have found that it works reasonably
well and it helps us to work through our donations and value them
reasonably consistently. We always try to be on the watch for a book
that might have a much higher value, and if we have a hunch that this is
so, we look at the prices that are suggested by used book vendors, from
sources such as Addall.com and Bookfinder.com
Linwood DeLong
Collections Coordinator
University of Winnipeg Library
515 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
R3B 2E9
Ph. (204) 786-9124
FAX (204) 786-1824
e-mail: l.delong_at_uwinnipeg.ca
(2) One city I work at uses $35 for hardcovers and $10 for paperbacks.
Another city just uses the real value and inserts a gift note in the
MARC. I hope this helps some.
Melissa Jeffrey
Librarian
Haslet Public Library
(3) From: "June K. Schmidt" <JSchmidt_at_library.msstate.edu>
Subject: Re: CDL-Assessing the value of gift books/journals
At the end of the year we compile stats on the number of gift books added
in each LC class. Then we use the prices in the Bowker annual to estimate
the value. We don't bother to depreciate the prices. We use the same
process to estimate the value of books withdrawn from the collection.
June Schmidt
Associate Dean for Technical Services
Mitchell Memorial Library
P.O. Box 5408
Mississippi State, MS 39762
662-325-7672
Received on Wed Feb 22 2006 - 02:40:16 EST