Donations & Gifts

Monetary Gifts

To make a gift online, please select “Library Acquisition Fund” on the online form. 

Make a Gift online Now

Unrestricted gift funds help McCain Library thrive and directly support curricular materials and student programming. Approximately 87 percent of funds for purchasing research material comes from philanthropic and alumnae support. Some funds are designated to be spent in particular subject areas of interest to the donor (humanities, natural sciences, etc.). 

Gifts may be specified in honor or in memory of a particular person, or to name a space in McCain Library. Monetary gifts sent directly to the library will be forwarded to the college’s development office to ensure proper credit for the donor. Questions may be directed to library@59shoushen.com. 

Examples of  recent major gifts:

• An alumna in the class of 1974 created an endowment for Archives & Special Collections. 
• The Minter Family Foundation has supported library resources, events, technology, benchmarking surveys, staff professional development, and furniture. 

Material Donations

McCain Library selectively accepts gifts of books supporting current curricular topics. Please contact us in advance of a book donation to ensure the material will be best used if placed in the collection. 

Because there are costs involved with cataloging, processing, and housing donations, McCain Library reserves the right to reject donations if it is thought that they may be of more use elsewhere. While the library does have a small bestseller collection, we are primarily an academic library, supporting current curricula at the college. The collection reflects this fact.

Please check resellers such as charities (e.g., AAUW, Better World Books) or local public libraries to see if donations would be best utilized at these locations. 

• Donations that are more than the donor can bring to McCain Library will not be accepted. 
• Conditional donations, such as special requests on display location and circulation placement, will also not be accepted. 
• When accepted, all donations become property of the library and may be used as the library sees fit. 

The library does not accept books that are: 

• Worn or dirty (including yellowing and staining)
• Already owned within the collection
  • Our holdings can be checked here.
• Marred by highlighting or other markings
• Incomplete series
• Older editions or that convey outdated information
  • Typically items that are more than 5 years old will not be accepted
• CDs, DVDs, Magazines, or VHS Videotapes
• We are currently seeking additions to these collections: Graphic Novels (including Manga)

There are exceptions to these criteria, such as:

• Materials specifically related to Agnes Scott College and its history. 
  • Please contact Archives.
• Original copies of significant titles and authors
• Materials underrepresented in the collection
  • Please check the library's collections and seriously evaluate the material academically if you believe the donation fits this category.

While donations are tax-deductible, by law the library cannot assign monetary value to donations. Donors can request a gift receipt for tax purposes at the Circulation Desk and fill out a form regarding the specifics of their donations. Memorial bookplates may also be requested. 

If you are interested in donating physical items to Archives & Special Collections, please contact archives@59shoushen.com.

Policy Updated: July 2024

Download a printable gift form