Hofheimer Library welcomes donations which support Virginia Wesleyan's instructional and research needs. Because the Library does not develop specialized collections outside the College’s educational programs, special collections donated to the College but unrelated to its mission should be accompanied by financial support for processing and preservation.
Conditions of acceptance
Gifts are accepted only on the condition that the library may keep items which are suitable for the collection and dispose of the remainder, usually through sales or gift to other institutions. Members of the library staff are authorized to accept gifts on these terms only; any other conditions must be approved by the Library Director. For more information, contact Jan Pace, 757.455.3220.
Gift acknowledgment
When a donation is accepted by the library, the donor will be asked to fill out and sign a gift receipt on which a count of all gift items is recorded. A copy of this receipt will be provided to the donor. The Library cannot provide lists, appraisals, or estimations of value for tax or other purposes.
Gift evaluation
Gifts are accepted and examined in terms of usefulness as library copies. Materials may be deemed unacceptable due to poor physical condition (including contamination by mold), subject matter, or outdated information. Selection criteria include:
- Materials that are clean, unmarked, and in good repair
- Materials that are relevant to the curriculum
- Materials that do not require special handling or housing
- No textbooks, manuals, or instructional materials
- No duplicates (except where appropriate)
- No notebooks, pamphlets or personal papers
All accepted gifts go through a standard assessment process before being added to the collection. After their physical condition and general suitability are evaluated as acceptable, they are checked against the catalog to determine whether they duplicate material already owned. If not, they are cataloged, processed, and placed in the collection. Where appropriate, library staff will ask for guidance from faculty members in evaluating donations in particular subject areas.