Information for Donors
| Tax Information |
|---|
1. Active and potential donors of books and other materials should understand that not every gift item is selected to be added to the libraries' collections. Collection Managers review gift items and select the appropriate materials for inclusion to library holdings. However, in many cases, Collection Managers will not add materials to the holdings for a variety of reasons, which may include: duplication of existing titles, poor physical condition of the gift, or the materials do not fall under the collection scope of the library (for more information on Collection Management policies, see “http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/manual/CMManual6-15.html“).
2. Gift materials not selected for the library may be exchanged or offered to other libraries – including SUS libraries in Florida. Other disposition alternative are selling the leftover books and materials in the Smathers Library Bookstore , routing them to the Friends of the Library book sale in downtown Gainesville, or in a final case scenario when all other alternatives are exhausted, the staff will recycle unwanted materials.
3. Staff offers donors a printed ‘donor registry' form for signature , which includes the gift disposition policy clearly stated.
4. Gift materials selected for collections will not be found on the shelves within a particular period of time; the time needed to process and catalog gift materials varies due to workloads and backlogs.
5. The Smathers Libraries do not normally provide donors with inventories of their gifts. The Gifts and Exchange Librarian must approve any donor request for an inventory before staff accepts a gift.
6. Staff presents information regarding the tax considerations of a donor's gift before or at the time of gift receipt.
The Smathers Libraries' Department of Special and Area Studies Collections has developed policies for the solicitation and processing of donated archival materials, and is always consulted when managing these gifts. On occasion, the Gifts & Exchange staff and the staff of Special and Area Studies Collections work together to manage incoming gift material donations.
Gift and UF Foundation Books Requiring Bookplates
In special circumstances bookplates bearing the name of the donor or the donor's family can be attached to gift books. A bookplate may be produced for the gift of a significant collection, but only when granted approval by a representative of the Directors Office, Director of Development, or the Gifts & Exchange Librarian. When approved, the donor bookplate used for this purpose is the standard Ex Libris University of Florida bookplate. Since bookplates are labor intensive to produce and affix, G&E unit affix bookplates for only a small percentage of donated materials. The G & E unit is responsible for producing and affixing bookplates for all donated materials.
The University of Florida Libraries offer specially designed Bookplates for endowed purchase funds which have been set up with the University of Florida Foundation . These endowed purchase funds are permanent accounts which are administered by the UF Foundation. Collection Managers use the interest earned from these accounts to purchase new books and other materials for the UF Libraries. For further information about donating funds for such an account, or for other tax deductible cash donations and Online Giving , please contact the Libraries' Director of Development at the Library Administration Office (352) 392-0342. Books purchased with UF Foundation accounts require a standard preprinted bookplate, and after processing, the staff in the Cataloging or Acquisitions Departments should route UF Foundation books to the G & E unit for plating.
Tax Information for Material Donations
1. Library staff, particularly the Gifts & Exchange Librarian and staff, the Director of Development , Collection Manager, or representative from the Library Director's Office may offer donors basic information on the tax codes for charitable donations. However, it is the sole responsibility of the donor to consult the IRS, a tax attorney, or a tax accountant for more advice or interpretations of existing tax law.
2. A gift valued at more than $5,000 must be appraised by a qualified appraiser* as defined by the IRS (which excludes appraisal by the donee) and the donor's tax return must include a copy of the official signed appraisal attached to IRS Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions (available at the IRS Web site: http://www.irs.gov/ ). For appraised gifts valued at more than $5,000, if the donee organization disposes of the property within 2 years after the date of receipt, the organization must file IRS Form 8282, Donee Information Return, with the IRS and send a copy to the donor.
* Although the Library as donee cannot appraise the gift, the Library Development Officer and the Gifts & Exchange Librarian can provide information on local appraisers who may be considered qualified by the IRS .
3. In cases where the value of the charitable deduction does not exceed $5,000, the donor is not required to obtain a qualified appraisal, but is still required to submit IRS Form 8283. For such gift donations, the donee organization is under no obligation to report any disposition of the gift within two years to either the IRS or the donor.
Transportation of Accepted Gift Materials
The Gifts & Exchange staff can provide transportation for gift donations accepted by the library. G & E staff and student assistants will schedule pickups that are convenient for donors; however, G & E staff use of library vans is dependent on their availability at Library Facilities. Permission for G & E staff to arrange gift pickups beyond the UF campus and the city of Gainesville comes from a Library Director. In cases where gift materials are located hundreds or even thousands of miles away, the Director of Collections is responsible for accepting the donations, and G & E will then arrange a pickup using a commercial shipping agent.
