§ 701.33 - Acquisition of library materials by non-purchase means and disposition of surplus library materials.

(a) Gifts. It is the policy of the Library of Congress to foster the enrichment of its collections through gifts of materials within the terms of the Library's acquisitions policies. In implementing this policy, division chiefs and other authorized officers of the Library may undertake, as representatives of the Library, preliminary negotiations for gifts to the Library. However, responsibility for formal acceptance of gifts of material and for approval of conditions of such gifts rests with The Librarian of Congress or his designee. The Chief, African/Asian Acquisitions and Overseas Operations Division, Chief, Anglo-American Acquisitions Division, and Chief, European and Latin American Acquisitions Division are responsible for routine gifts in the geographic areas covered by their divisions.

(b) Deposits. (1) The Anglo-American Acquisitions Division is the only division in the Library authorized to make technical arrangements, formally negotiate for the transportation of materials and conditions of use at the Library, and prepare written Agreements of Deposit to formalize these negotiations. The term “deposit” is used to mean materials which are placed in the custody of the Library for general use on its premises, but which remain the property of their owners during the time of deposit and until such time as title in them may pass to the Library of Congress. A deposit becomes the permanent property of the Library when title to it is conveyed by gift or bequest. A deposit may be withdrawn by the owner rather than conveyed to the Library. A deposit shall be accompanied by a signed Agreement of Deposit.

(2) It is the policy of the Library of Congress to accept certain individual items or special collections as deposits when: permanent acquisition of such materials cannot be effected immediately; the depositors give reasonable assurance of their intention to donate the materials deposited to the United States of America for the benefit of the Library of Congress; the Library of Congress determines that such ultimate transfer of title will enrich its collections; and the depositors agree that the materials so deposited may be available for unrestricted use or use in the Library under reasonable restrictions.

(c) Methods of disposition of surplus and/or duplicate materials—(1) Exchange. All libraries may make selections on an exchange basis from the materials available in the “Exchange/Transfer” category. The policy governing these selections is that exchange be made only when materials of approximately equal value are expected to be furnished in return within a reasonable period. Dealers also may negotiate exchanges of this type for items selected from available exchange materials, but surplus copyright deposit copies of works published after 1977 shall not knowingly be exchanged with dealers. Offers of exchange submitted by libraries shall be submitted to the Chief of the African/Asian Acquisitions and Overseas Operations Division, Anglo-American Acquisitions Division, or European/Latin American Acquisitions Division, or their designees, as appropriate, who shall establish the value of the material concerned. Offers from dealers shall be referred to the Chief of the Anglo-American Acquisitions Division. Exchange offers involving materials valued at $1,000 or more must be approved by the Acquisitions Division Chief; offers of $10,000 or more must be approved by the Director for Acquisitions and Support Services; and offers of $50,000 or more must be approved by the Associate Librarian for Library Services. The Library also explicitly reserves the right to suspend, for any period of time it deems appropriate, the selection privileges of any book dealer who fails to comply fully with any rules prescribed for the disposal of library materials under this section or any other pertinent regulations or statutes.

(2) Transfer of materials to Government Agencies. Library materials no longer needed by the Library of Congress, including the exchange use mentioned above, shall be available for transfer to Federal agency libraries or to the District of Columbia Public Library, upon the request of appropriate officers of such entities, and may be selected from both the “Exchange/Transfer” and “Donation” categories. Existing arrangements for the transfer of materials, such as the automatic transfer of certain classes of books, etc., to specified Government libraries, shall be continued unless modified by the Library.

(3) Donations of Library materials to educational institutions, public bodies, and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations in the United States. It is the Library's policy, in keeping with the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, 40 U.S.C. 471 et seq., which does not cover the Library of Congress, to use materials no longer needed for any of the purposes mentioned above to strengthen the educational resources of the Nation by enriching the book collections of educational institutions (full-time, tax-supported or nonprofit schools, school systems, colleges, universities, museums, and public libraries), public bodies (agencies of local, state, or Federal Government), and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations (section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. 501, (see 41 CFR 101-44.207 (a)(17)) by authorizing the Anglo-American Acquisitions Division to donate to such groups in the United States any materials selected by their representatives. Eligibility to participate in the donation program shall be limited as defined by procedures established by the Anglo-American Acquisitions Division.

(4) Disposition of residue. Library materials not needed for the collections of the Library, for its exchange and transfer programs, for sale, or for donation, and which, in the opinion of the Chief, Anglo-American Acquisitions Division, have no commercial value, may be turned over to the General Services Administration (GSA) to be disposed of in accordance with standard Government practice.