DMU Library: Donations & Gift Guidelines

We do accept donations of new and used books published within the last 3-5 years that pertain to the fields of study in Medicine and Allied Health. Archival materials relating to the university's history or the history of Osteopathic Medicine will also be accepted.

Donated items may be added to the Library Collection entirely at the discretion of the staff and in accordance with the Library’s Collection Development policy. Once donated, items will become the property of the Des Moines University Library. Any materials deemed duplicative or outside the scope of the University Library and Archives’ collection guidelines may be given to other libraries, non-profit agencies, sold, or discarded. Donated items cannot be returned to the donor, and the Library will not accept any item that is not deemed a gift. It is the responsibility of the Library staff to determine when to withdraw a gift from the collection.

The DMU Library staff will acknowledge the gift of donated items by written letter, but we cannot set market or appraisal values for donations. We would recommend that the donor compile a list of items they seek to donate and independently determine the fair market value or seek the services of an expert in the area in order to establish their value for tax purposes.

Monetary gifts and memorial contributions are also welcome. Donated funds will be used to purchase material for the collection in accordance with the DMU Library’s Collection Development policy. Items purchased with gifts or memorial donations will be recognized with special donor bookplates. We are open to suggestions for topics as long as they fall within our collection guidelines. As with any donated materials, the Library staff will reserve the right to withdraw material purchased with donated or memorial funds once it becomes outdated.

If you are interested in donating materials to the Library, please fill out our Materials Donation Form and email it to library@dmu.edu.

If you are interested in donating materials to the Archives, please fill out our Materials Donation Form and email it to allison.guild@dmu.edu.

Please be sure to read the Donations and Gifts Guidelines stated on this page (also attached to the form) before sending the form.