Purchase a Memorial or Honorarium Book at the Geisel Library

The Memorial and Honorarium Book program was established to support the addition of books to the College's library, and to provide donors with a unique way to mark special moments in the lives of of family and friends. Occasions have included births, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, birthdays, retirements, ordinations, the feast day of a patron saint, Christmas, class gifts, and the passing of a loved one. 

Every book purchased on these occasions is affixed with a special bookplate bearing the name of the person being honored with words of your choice. We also send an acknowledgement card to that person notifying them of your thoughtful gift. When the gift is in memory of a deceased loved one or friend, a card will be sent to a family member or other person of your choosing. Your donation is also noted in the records we keep for our online catalog. In that way, if your friend or family member visits the Geisel Library, we can readily retrieve books purchased in their name. 

In a world where speed and technological innovation are so highly prized, books are still the most critical tool for learning, and the single most important resource supporting Saint Anselm College's liberal arts program. 

How much is an appropriate donation for the Honorarium or Memorial Books?

Any donation received, no matter the amount is always welcome and greatly appreciated. To assist you, we have established several levels of giving, which include:

Geisel Patrons
For gifts of $50 or more, enough to purchase one book with a commemorative plate.

Geisel Companions
For gifts of $100 or more, enough to purchase two books with commemorative plates.

Geisel Scholars
For gifts of $250 or more, enough to purchase five books with commemorative plates.

Geisel Collector's Society
For gifts of $500 or more, enough to purchase 10 books with commemorative plates.

Geisel Publishers
For gifts of $1,000 or more, enough to purchase 20 books with commemorative plates.

It will be an honor for us to purchase books for your family and friends, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity. 

Donate Your Books

Arranging a Donation

Materials are accepted only as Library shelf space and/or staff time permit. Based upon the size of a prospective donated collection, the Library may choose to arrange a time with the prospective donor when the materials can be seen and evaluated.

We are not able to accept drop-offs of large amounts of gift materials unless prior arrangements have been made. We accept small drop-off donations of no more than the equivalent of six banker’s size boxes, Monday-Friday between the hours of 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Contact the Library for any donation that is above this amount. Consult our website to confirm our hours of operation.

Contacting Staff

If you are considering a gift to the Geisel Library or have a question, please contact Melinda Malik, Head of Collection Development: mmalik@anselm.edu.
Donors wishing to give rare or unique material to the Library are encouraged to contact Keith Chevalier, Archivist and Head of Special Collections: kchevalier@anselm.edu.

Policy

We accept book donations with the understanding that we may add them to the collection at our discretion or dispose of them if they do not meet the standards for selection. As a general rule, gift books will be added to the collection based on the same criteria (including both subject matter and condition) as purchased material.

We reserve the right to determine the retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to the use or disposition of all gifts. We assume no responsibility for appraisal of gift items, nor will the library accept items under restricted conditions.

Due to the cost incurred in evaluating, cataloging, storing, and providing access to materials, we do not guarantee that all donated items will be added to our collections. The majority of items donated to the Library are sold during its annual book sale or disposed of through charitable organizations or through recycling. We will not return books to donors that are not added to the Library’s collections.

At the time of the donation, the donor will be required to fill out a Deed of Gift form relinquishing ownership of the donated items to Saint Anselm College - Geisel Library. We will acknowledge the gift with a letter stating the quantity of items received. We cannot provide appraisals of any kind. The appraisal or establishment of an item’s value for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor, as are appraisal costs. Any appraisals must be completed prior to the donation. Donors should seek further information on valuation of donated property from the Internal Revenue Service and their own tax adviser or attorney.

In general, we do not accept the following materials, these items will be disposed of immediately upon receipt if they are a part of any donation:

  • VHS and cassette tapes, journals, magazines, newspapers
  • Books in poor physical condition (for example those with torn, missing, highlighted, marked-up pages or books that have strong odors, water damage, mold, mildew, smoke damage, living matter, foxing, etc.).