Gift Policy

It is the policy of the Little Big Horn College Library to graciously accept gifts that enhance the current collection and compliment the general collection goals and policies of the Library. Due to minimal shelf and storage space, limited staff, and strict collection goals, accepted gifts must meet the following guidelines:

• Donated materials should be current and no older than five years (unless they are Native American materials or if age is not a factor due to literary or other value)
• Materials related to Crow Indians or areas of significant local interest will be accepted; materials on the Northern Plains Indians, Montana and Native Americans are also of interest
• Materials must be in good condition:
  • Binding must be intact and in sturdy condition
  • There can be no evidence of mildew or mold
  • Covering must be free from tears, watermarks, or other damage and in generally good overall condition
• Reference materials such as encyclopedias or directories will be accepted if there is not a current issue within the collection and it is current within the last two years.
• Duplicate copies (either within the items to be donated, or duplicates of items already existing in the collection) are discouraged unless there is a demonstrated need based on circulation or other statistics

If feasible, a list of items to be donated should be offered to the Library in advance to determine if the items meet the above gift policies, avoiding unnecessary transfer of materials.

Procedures for Processing Gift Items

1. When items have been received, the Librarian will review the items according to the gift and collection development policies and search the library records for existing copies within one week of receipt.
2. If the items meet the above requirements, they must be processed promptly, or in the case of large gifts, within a reasonable time period that takes into account the amount of labor involved.
3. Processing procedures for different areas of the collections:

• Fiction/General Reading materials: create a spine label reading "FIC" and the author’s last name and affix it to the donated item. The item should then be property stamped and added to the appropriate shelf.
• Children’s Literature: create a spine label noting the category number for the item and affix it to the donated item. The item should then be property stamped and added to the appropriate shelf.
• Audio Tape: Property stamp the item and add it to the appropriate shelf.
• Items other than those listed above must be checked for duplication within the collection. If there are no duplicates (with some exceptions) then catalogue, process (label and property stamp), and add the item to the appropriate shelf.

1. If the number of items to be donated exceeds processing capability, encourage the donor to stagger the donation or appropriately weed the items themselves according to the general collection policy of the Library and according to the Gift Policy Guidelines.
2. Items not added to the collection will be set out for faculty, students, and community member to take freely. No materials will be held or stored. The Library will reserve the privilege to give gift materials to other Native American libraries as well at the right to dispose of gift materials at the Library’s discretion.