A donation to the Library is a donation to all of Tulane.
We serve all students and faculty, uptown and downtown, as well as alumni and the greater New Orleans community. Gifts are essential for the Library to support, promote, and enrich the University’s teaching and research missions. Donations can help us to transform spaces, refresh and expand our services, acquire needed materials, and preserve our rich and unique collections. Your support also enables us to provide training and professional development opportunities for our staff, recognize outstanding student workers, and otherwise invest in the future.
Need a few hints on what to give? See how your contributions help below.
Your donations make a difference in the lives of our students and scholars today and tomorrow. We gratefully welcome financial donations in any amount. You may donate online, by phone at (800) 933-6886, or via mail at:
Tulane University
P.O. Box 669394
Dallas, TX 75266-9394
If you'd like to make a gift by mail, please complete and send this mail in gift form with your personal check or credit card information included to the above address.
Make checks payable to Tulane University. You may note the specific purpose of your gift on the memo line of your check.
Gifts of Materials
To allocate its financial and human resources in a way that provides the greatest overall benefit to its users, the library can no longer accept gifts of popular literature or academic materials likely to be duplicated by materials already represented in its collections. Unmediated drop-off donations are not accepted. Interested parties are encouraged to contact an appropriate subject liaison librarian directly when they believe they may have individual items of special research value. The library accepts only gifts of physical materials that have evident academic or research value to students and faculty at Tulane University. Of particular interest are materials created by or representative of marginalized and underrepresented groups, as well as content relevant to the study of New Orleans and its surrounding region. Otherwise, those with gifts for the general collection are asked to look for alternatives. The American Library Association maintains a useful guide to book donation programs.
Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) and The Latin American Library have their own special considerations and policies for gifts.
All gifts to the library are considered charitable donations and are tax deductible. If you claim a deduction of more than $5,000 for a non-cash gift, you will need an appraisal. Please note that under IRS rules, the library cannot provide appraisals; donors will need to arrange them separately. Since tax laws change from time to time, we encourage you to seek advice from a knowledgeable tax consultant about current requirements.
Gifts can include bequests made through a will; deferred gifts that provide you or others with a life income and then benefit the library; and outright gifts, such as cash or marketable securities. These major gifts can also add to or create an endowed fund that keeps the principal intact and uses only the income. The library has several endowed funds to which you can contribute, or we can establish a new endowed fund in your name or the name of someone you wish to memorialize. Tulane's Office of Gift Planning will be happy to discuss such gifts with you. Please contact the Office of Gift Planning by phone at (800) 999-0181, by email at giftplanning@tulane.edu or online at giftplanning.tulane.edu.
$115 enables the library to purchase and process a new trade hardcover book
$250 will supply 20 archival boxes to house fragile rare and special collections materials
$300 is the cost of digitizing one book
$500 could help us recognize outstanding student workers
$1,000 could support staff professional development
$2,000 covers the cost of conservation treatment for a rare book
$2,500 allows the library to host an event, including a small reception
$4,750 pays for one new journal subscription in chemistry or physics
$5,500 employs a student library assistant (10 hours a week; full academic year)
$8,000 funds the production and mailing of a library publication, such as a full-color brochure or an annual report
$10,000 can help purchase exhibit cases to display more unique materials to the public
$20,000 buys a high-quality scanner for public or staff use
$25,000 could help us acquire a rare book
$50,000 is the minimum amount needed to set up a new endowment for the library
$75,000 purchases a high-end camera and software for digitizing materials
$100,000 would endow a speaker series, exhibits, or other programming
$500,000 would help us create more group study spaces in Howard-Tilton or Matas libraries
$1,000,000 would provide an endowment for materials preservation and conservation
$2,500,000 would endow a curatorial position for rare materials and distinctive collections
$5,000,000 would endow digital preservation and web archiving, allowing us to capture digital objects for long-term access
$10,000,000 would transform or renew a large space in the library