Information on:
General Library Donations
St. Olaf libraries have strict guidelines regarding the types of donated materials that it can accept and it is quite rare that we add donated materials to our circulating collections. If you have items that you would like to donate to our general circulating collections please reach out to our Acquisitions and Resource Management department at libraryacquisitions@stolaf.edu. We are not able to accept unsolicited donations.
Special Collections/Archives
While the Special Collections and Archives accepts donations, not all items can be accepted, and we cannot accept items without prior discussion and approval. We accept published material (books, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc.) documenting the Norwegian-American immigrant experience, and are especially interested in adding to our collection of Norwegian-American Imprints. We are also building collections on the History of the Book, Artists’ Books, Early American Printing, and materials related to the history of East Asia.
To check if we will accept your donation contact us by email librarycollectiondonor@stolaf.edu or by phone at (507) 786-3601.
How do I identify if my item is a Norwegian-American Imprint?
If your publication meets three or more of these parameters, it is likely to be a Norwegian-American Imprint:
- Published in the USA or Canada
- Published between 1850 and 1940
- Written in Norwegian or English for Norwegian-Americans
- Publisher’s name is Norwegian
- By and/or for Norwegian immigrants
- Written in Fraktur font
- Some Norwegian terms to look for:
- tidende (gazette)
- tidskrift (journal)
- forlægger, forlag, utgivere (publishers)
We do not accept:
- Materials that are wet or molding
- Books in poor condition (missing cover, broken binding) unless the item is very rare
- Newspapers/magazines published in Norway (except for during the period of Nazi occupation)
- Bibles published after 1801
- Letters, diaries, photographs, manuscripts, etc. These materials can be brought to the Norwegian-American Historical Association or the Shaw-Olson Center for College History for consideration.
How do I donate Special Collections materials?
- Contact Special Collections with an itemized list of potential donations, including title, author, and date of publication. This information can usually be found on the title page.
- After we decide which materials meet our collection needs, we will respond with a list of the items we will accept.
- Include a signed Deed of Gift form with your donation.
- Some gifts may be of sufficient value that we will need to work with you to determine how they will be insured, cataloged, housed and otherwise protected and supported. If this is the case, we will include other campus offices in the donation process, as is appropriate. Please note that the law prevents the College and/or the library from offering appraisals. Donors are responsible for the appraisal of any potential gifts.
- To get it to us you may either:
a. Mail the items (we do not pay for shipping) to:
ROLVAAG LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DONATIONS
c/o Head of Strategy for Library Collections & Archives
1510 St. Olaf Avenue
Northfield, MN 55057
b. Schedule a time to drop them off at the Rolvaag Library.
We will return a counter-signed copy of your Deed of Gift, and send you a thank you note for your support of the St. Olaf College Library Collections.
Where can I donate my books if St. Olaf does not need them?
If we do not accept your donation, there are many other options for your books. We recommend:
- Better World Books - reuses, resells and recycles used books to promote global literacy initiatives
- Zubal Books - will buy entire literary estates, private libraries and household accumulations, specializes in rare and antiquarian texts
- Northfield Hospital Auxiliary - accepts donations for its annual books sale; volunteers will pick up books and store them until the sale date