Darlene Johnson-Bignotti writes:
======== Original Message ========
Two questions for my collegues:

1) Does your library have a written policy and/or guidelines for patrons
wishing to donate periodical subcriptions to your library? What about
donations that "just show up" without prior consultation? Would you be
willing to share a copy of this policy via email/fax?

2)I am seeking feedback from serials librarians (esp. public) regarding
patrons who want to donate materials of a controversial nature. The
publications in question are an anti-government organ and an
atheist journal. Both patrons feel their views are not represented (to
their satisfaction) within our current holdings and they want to "balance"
our collection.

Please feel free to respond to me privately. Thank You.
                        [ed. note: replies to list also welcome. -bml]
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Darlene Johnson-Bignotti
Adult Services Librarian; Southfield Public Library
26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076
(810) 948-0460 (phone); (810) 354-5319 (fax)
 <jbignotd@METRONET.LIB.MI.US>
Visit our homepage at: http://metronet.lib..mi.us/SFLD/south1.html
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======== Fwd by: Dena Lahue ========
Darlene, we currently have one gifts/donations acceptance policy to govern
all material formats.  It is rare that we get periodical subscriptions as
gifts these days.  Occasionally someone will forward single issues to us of
something that they personally receive. Generally, we don't look on gift
subscriptions favorably since they don't help our accreditation.

For things that 'just show up', we weed through them, keeping what we can
use and discarding the rest.  We will normally offer the items on duplicate
exchange before actually throwing them out.

Being a Christian, private institution we have not had to worry about any
controversial materials being donated.  We simply don't accept certain
things and that's stated in our policies.

Hope this helps.

Dena Lahue
Public Services Librarian
Gus Nichols Library
Faulkner University
Montgomery, AL
<dlahue@FAULKNER.EDU>