Giving to Bridwell Library

Donors contribute significantly to strengthening the collections and fulfilling the mission of Bridwell Library through their financial support and gifts of library materials.

The Library accepts appropriate donations of books and collections from individuals. We are also pleased to receive funds to acquire a book in honor of friends and loved ones. A special bookplate can be affixed in gift books as a reminder of the donor and honoree. We are dependent on donors to underwrite the exhibitions, publications, and programs of the Library.

Monetary Donations

Monetary donations are welcome and help support materials purchases, exhibitions, and programs. If you are interested in making a monetary gift please use the Bridwell Library Gifting Form or the SMU Secure Online Giving Form or call (214) 768-3483.

Memorials

We are pleased to accept funds to acquire a book in honor or memory of a person or event. A special bookplate can be affixed in gift books as a reminder of the donor and honoree. If you wish to make a memorial gift please use our Gifting Form or call (214) 768-3483.


Gifts of Printed Materials

Due to limited storage space, proposed gifts of new or used print materials are subject to acceptance by library staff. The materials are evaluated based on their relevance to supporting the curriculum and mission of the Perkins School of Theology and the Graduate Program in Religious Studies.

Bridwell Library may decline offers of gift materials that meet any of the following criteria:
• duplicate existing holdings
• fall outside the scope of its collections
• are in poor physical condition and require extensive repair or conservation
• contain mold
• include donor restrictions that the library cannot honor
• are single issues of periodicals

If you are considering a donation of print materials please first contact the associate director of Bridwell Library at (214) 768-3483 or bridadmin@smu.edu.

Receiving and Processing Gifts

When gifts of printed materials are received, the donor will be asked to complete and sign two copies of the Bridwell Library Declaration of Gift form. The donor will keep one copy; Bridwell Library will keep the other.

The director of Bridwell Library will acknowledge each gift with a letter; however, because of legal restrictions, Bridwell Library is unable to assign value or provide appraisals of gift materials.

For general collection materials, the name of the donor will be added to bookplates inserted in gift books. At the donor’s request, these plates may bear the names of those in whose honor or memory the gift is made. Also, the name of the donor is included in the cataloging record for each item accepted.

Gift materials that are not added to the library’s collections will be dispersed at the discretion of the director of Bridwell Library.

Thank you for considering giving to Bridwell Library.