NEW ACQUISITIONS

New acquisitions are determined by the Liaison Librarians. New acquisitions that do the following are given priority:

• Support existing programs, courses, and curriculum.
• Support new programs, courses, and curriculum.
• Fill faculty and student requests.
• Fill gaps in the overall collection coverage.
• Replace old, lost, damaged, or unusable materials.

The library staff also monitors Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests to determine trends and patterns that show gaps in the library's collections and acquisitions.

DESELECTION

In order for our collections to remain useful and relevant to the students, faculty, and staff of MICA, they need to be carefully looked at to remove items that are no longer appropriate. 

Items may be withdrawn periodically from the collection because they are:

• Obsolete
• Superseded by later editions
• Out-of-date in content
• Unnecessary duplicates
• Not circulated for a period of time to be determined by the Library Director and Access Services staff
• Worn-out or damaged
• Text-based publications in a language other than English
• Part of an incomplete multi-volume set
• Inappropriate to the curricular goals of the college

DONATIONS

At this time we are only able to accept donations that will enhance and contribute to our Special Collections. Special Collections include rare books, artists’ books, design material samples, and archival collections or records, including AV materials directly relevant to MICA. 

While Decker Library welcomes donations of materials supporting the educational mission of the college, the library develops its collection primarily through purchases. Though gifts sometimes support our needs, we cannot accept all donations, or confirm that donations will be integrated into our collections.

The library does not accept: textbooks, popular fiction, popular magazines, newsprint publications, individual issues of periodicals, design material samples from commercial, mass-produced product lines, titles we already own, books that are falling apart, have missing pages, are marked up, or exhibit mold or mildew, gifts with restrictions, such as separate housing, perpetual retention, return of items not added to the collection, or restricted access.

Before donating, prospective donors must first complete our Donation Form. Please have an itemized list ready before filling out form. 

We regret that the Library is not able to accept drop-offs of gifts without an appointment. Please contact our Donation Coordinator at schampagne@mica.edu or 410.225.2272 to set an appointment.

Alternatives within Baltimore and Maryland to Donate books 

1. The Book Thing… 3001 Vineyard Lane, Baltimore, MD 21218 / 410.662.5631
2. The Maryland Book Bank… 1794 Union Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211 / 443.517.9767
3. Better World Books (drop boxes)... York Road & Schwartz Ave, Towson, MD 21212
4. The Book Escape (accepts some donations for store credit)... 805 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230