Collection Development

The Harrisburg University Library generally does not accept donations of academic books in print form. However, the Library maintains a free book exchange for leisure reading and welcomes other forms of support.

Page Contents:

• Donations of Educational Materials
• Leisure Reading and Book Swap
• Other Ways to Donate or Sell Books and Magazines

Donations of Educational Materials

With rare exception, the Harrisburg University Library does not accept donations of print copies of academic books, including textbooks and other course materials, magazine or journal issues, maps, or other printed material. The Library has adopted a Print Free policy due to Harrisburg University's identity as a market-responsive, tech-based institution with a significant population of remote, commuter, and international students. Library materials that are acquired for the university's curriculum must be accessible to the entire community and are therefore made available in online format only.

Faculty members who publish books and would like to donate a copy for preservation should contact the University Librarian.

Those wishing to make a financial contribution to the Library should contact the Office of Philanthropy.

Leisure Reading and Book Swap

The Harrisburg University Library maintains a leisure reading and book swap shelf to help members of the community find gently-used, high-quality books for pleasure and enlightenment.

We invite members of the Harrisburg University community to stop by the Library to browse and trade items on the book swap shelves.

Please donate thoughtfully and responsibly and do not use the book swap to clean out your home or office. Donation guidelines:

• Limit your donations to 20 books per month.
   
• Donations should be in good to excellent condition:
  • No serious damage to covers (e.g. torn or missing).
  • No musty smell or mold
  • Few markings and dog-ears
  • Binding may be somewhat worn but not completely broken such that the title cannot be easily read from the spine.
     
• Donations should be items that are likely to be of interest to students and staff. Consider donating from the following categories:
  • Books that have appeared on bestseller lists such as NYT and Goodreads.
  • Enduring classics/all time best sellers.
  • Literary award winners. 
  • Genres such as biography and autobiography, popular history, popular fiction, historical and literary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, graphic novels and manga, romance.
     
• Types of material we cannot accept:
  • Children's books
  • Academic books and course materials
  • Ex-library copies
  • Desk or preview copies
  • Pre-publication copies
  • Loose pages or material with ring binding

The Library maintains the right to curate and rotate this collection, which will have limited bookshelf space. Items that do not meet the donation criteria will not be returned and may be discarded.

Other Ways to Donate or Sell Books and Magazines

Please read the donation guidelines for these organizations before attempting to donate.

• Dauphin County Library System: Accepts typical library materials in good condition, including CDs, DVDs and audio books. 
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Pennsylvania: Accepts "glossy” publications, i.e. magazines.
• Midtown Scholar (Harrisburg, PA): Book buyback options.
• The Bookery at the Bosler Library (Carlisle, PA): Accepts many types of items for re-sale in support of the Bosler Memorial Library.
• Better World Books: Ship books in good condition or drop at a book donation boxes (nearest location in Devon, PA). 

Books that are damaged, dusty, musty, smell of smoke, and/or are heavily highlighted or annotated are typically only suitable for recycling and should be disposed of accordingly.