Charles S. Bryan History of Medicine Room: Donations/Policies

What kinds of books does the library want for its rare books collection housed in the Charles S. Bryan History of Medicine Room?

The library is interested in books of historical importance that are in moderate to good condition. The scope of the collection emphasizes medicine but also includes the allied sciences. Local medicine is a special interest as is the medicine of South Carolina and the southeast Atlantic region. Emphasis is on works in the English language; however, works in other languages are considered on a case-by-case basis.

How "old" does a book need to be for inclusion in this collection?

There is no specific cut-off copyright date. Generally, books copyrighted before 1900 are good candidates; however, this varies with the particular subject.

What other materials, besides books, does the library want for its Charles S. Bryan History of Medicine Room?

The library will consider adding manuscripts, instruments, illustrations, realia, and ephemera (related to medicine and the allied sciences) to the collection on a case-by-case basis.

How do I donate books to the rare books collection?

Before donating your materials, please contact Lisa McCartha (lisa.mccartha@uscmed.sc.edu) at 803-216-3208 or the Library front desk at 803-216-3200.

Donors will be provided with a Gift Acknowledgement form at the point when gifts are brought to the library. This form, which includes contact information of the donor and a brief description of the materials donated, serves as a record for tax purposes.

Upon receipt of the gift(s), it should be understood that the School of Medicine Library becomes the owner of the material and, as such, reserves the right to determine its retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations related to its use, maintenance, or removal.

How can I tell the value of my donation?

The library is prohibited by law from appraising donations or assigning monetary value to gifts. If you wish to determine a value for tax purposes, you should retain an independent appraiser to evaluate your collection before donating it to the library. You may be able to determine the value of particular items using one of these Internet sites for rare and used books:

• http://www.abebooks.com/
• http://www.bookfinder.com/

• Hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
• To request the use of an item, you must present to a staff member a printout of the item from the library's online catalog. (For a screen print, go to http://uscm.med.sc.edu, click on "Library Catalog", and perform a search for the item.)
• You may bring only paper, pencils, and a laptop into the History of Medicine Room. Pens, markers, coats, backpacks, briefcases, food and drink are NOT allowed into the room. Please leave all of these belongings at the Circulation Desk (they will be secured in the Administrative Assistant's office).
• Upon entering the History of Medicine Room, please sign the LOG BOOK. Please complete all information.
• A staff member will retrieve the requested materials for you and will demonstrate the use of the book cradles and the book weights.
• Please treat the materials carefully! They are extremely fragile. Turn pages slowly. Place nothing (other than the book weights) on top of the materials. Make no marks on the items; do not use erasers.
• Photocopies may be made by a staff member on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the condition of the item. Normal photocopy charges will apply.
• Please do not leave the room unlocked and unattended. If leaving the room (even for a short break), close the door and notify a staff member at the Circulation desk so that the room may be locked.
• When finished with the materials, please bring them (carefully) down to the Circulation desk. Your belongings will be returned to you at that point.