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Donating Books and Materials

Patrons enjoy the book sale.

Your donated books and materials can make a real difference for VCU and VCU Libraries. Most donated materials go directly to our annual Book Sale. The Book Sale is staffed by dedicated VCU Friends of the Library volunteers and generates income to buy new library materials and to support Friends-sponsored programs and events. Sometimes donated items are selected for the collections.

What might go into collections?

  • Books specific to Richmond or Virginia history
  • Richmond-specific sound recordings
  • VCU faculty author publications
  • A large collection of a particular topic or author
  • First editions or rare books
  • Book art and comic arts books
  • University press titles and society press titles
  • Health sciences journals and books (excluding textbooks)
  • Bound or unusual magazines
  • Important historic single copy of a newspaper or magazine

What is appropriate to donate?

  • Hardback and paperback fiction and non-fiction, art books, etc.
  • Comic books and graphic novels
  • DVDs and CDs
  • Scholarly journals

There are some materials we can’t accept. They include:

  • Materials in poor condition
  • Textbooks older than three years
  • Encyclopedia sets
  • Reader’s Digest Condensed Books
  • Individual issues of popular magazines
  • Training manuals, or spiral bound books
  • Notebooks
  • VHS and cassette tapes
  • Computer software and manuals

Details and information

  • A book donation form is required for all donations.
  • All materials donated become the property of VCU. Materials cannot be returned to the donor.
  • Please check through your books before donating them and remove inscriptions, names or other identifying material.
  • Make an appointment to deliver your donations to us by calling or emailing Gregory Kimbrell at (804) 828-0593 or kimbrellgg@vcu.edu.
  • The VCU Libraries Development Office will mail you a thank you letter.