Content Analysis of Canadian Academic Library Gift and Donation Webpages

Abstract

Gifts and donations form an integral part of an academic library's existence, whether monetary or physical items. While monetary gifts are greatly valued, gift-in-kind donations of physical items can also contribute rare or unique items to collections. However, gift-in-kind donations also bring many challenges, as processing and evaluating physical materials can be time-consuming and labour-intensive; moreover, these materials may occupy significant amounts of space and ultimately may or may not add value to the library collection. Providing clear, publicly available gift and donation information can mitigate some of these challenges and help to set expectations for donors by giving a clear overview of the evaluation process and letting them know which types of material are of interest. The author reviewed donation-related webpages of twenty-one Canadian academic libraries to determine commonalities regarding library donation webpages. This analysis can provide practical assistance to librarians who are creating or revising gift-in-kind policies and procedures in Canadian academic libraries.

"Evidence of me" becoming "evidence of us": A case study of the policy, processes and responses of selected GLAM institutions to personal donations of collections and artifacts

“…However, Library B's contact information is not accessible in the donation section but located elsewhere on the webpage. Both Empey (2017) and Williams (2014) found that supplying contact details for donation purposes was standard for institutions which is also indicated in this study.…”

“…Dhuibhne (2012, p.161), a manuscripts archivist, claimed from her personal experience that the institutional acquisition system in place is not understood by "readers and writers" but did not explain if, and how, institutions dealt with this problem. The research gap concerning how the GLAM sector communicate their donation policies and processes to the public was emphasised by Empey (2017). Her webpage analysis focused on Canadian academic libraries, suggesting the need for further research across other GLAM institutions and locations.…”

“…One potential resource for donors seeking information about collection donation and contact details is the institution's website. Although perceived as an important communication channel, there is limited research on donation webpage content (Empey, 2017). The frequently asked question (FAQ) technique is used by some institutions who perceive it as an effective way to disseminate collection policy material (Andrews & Richey, 2012).…”

“…Consequently, different methods of webpage communication could be required depending on the type of information to be conveyed. Empey's (2017) research on donation-related webpages demonstrating the method's worth for this type of study. Although she concluded that libraries face comparable challenges and handle them using fairly similar approaches, there is more diversity than Empey acknowledges.…”

“…However, none of the institutions provided any suitable guidance regarding how the collection was to be presented for appraisal, although lists were asked for during donor discussions. Empey (2017) found in her study that the donation webpages of most institutions included an inventory request. Only three of the five institutions, Library A, Museum A and the Gallery mentioned an appraisal or approval process on their donation webpage but provided few details.…”