Are you interested in donating items to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education (OML) collections? The OML gratefully welcomes material gifts to the collections that support the OML’s status as a Special Collections Library at a Public University that emphasizes educational outreach and research. OML is pleased to accept donations of materials that are in good physical condition and that are relevant to the library’s mission, goals, and collecting policies. Please note: at this time we do not accept born-digital materials or digital materials of any kind.
We will gladly discuss your prospective donations with you via email or phone, review donation procedures, and, if appropriate, make arrangements to see the collection or the materials offered in person.
For initial inquiries please contact our Collections Manager by email or phone:
Email: jessica.c.hovey@maine.edu Phone: (207) 780-5295
We respectfully request that prospective donors do not send or bring materials to the OML without prior contact and consultation.
The nature of our collections are global in scope and OML broadly seeks to acquire cartographic materials from any era.
In order to foster public and educational interest, OML takes as culturally broad a definition of “cartographic materials” as possible. OML collects:
Please contact us first about your offer of items, providing relevant information about them as appropriate. Photographs are welcome and helpful to our assessments.
When offering a donation, please include as much background information as possible to assist in establishing provenance.
Gifts are reviewed monthly by the OML Gifts Committee (Members: Collections Manager, Faculty Scholar, Reference and Teaching Librarian, Executive Director). The Committee reviews all potential donations, assesses conditions and fit within the scope of our collections, and then renders a decision to the potential donor/s. In the event that a decision about your donation is time-sensitive, please let us know and we will work to accommodate your request.
After a collection is received, gift paperwork will be completed by OML staff and the donor. A deed of gift form signed by both parties is required to accept the donation. Gifts valued at $500 or more are classified as non-cash charitable contributions and require the completion of an IRS form 8283 by the donor if the donor wishes to claim a tax deduction for the gift. Gifts valued at more than $5000 must have an appraisal in order to claim tax deductions (see IRS information here). Copies of this paperwork will be provided to the donor along with an acknowledgement letter from the Executive Director, and a gift receipt letter with a tax receipt from the University of Southern Maine Foundation.
Gifts to OML are made without restriction and in accordance with the OML Collections Policy. The donor must have clear and legal title to the items. All titles are transferred to OML as part of the gift process, as copyright allows. Gifts with stipulations or restrictions are accepted on a case-by-case basis, and are subject to approval by the OML Gifts Committee.
As a public cultural and collecting institution, OML does not and cannot appraise or assign monetary value to items.
The Maine Arts Commission maintains a list of Maine and Northern New England appraisers and conservators. This list is for reference only, as the OML does not endorse the services of any vendor. Any desired appraisal should take place prior to collection transfer and is the responsibility of the donor.
The Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education gratefully accepts charitable donations to support our mission. Charitable donations can be made through the University of Southern Maine Foundation (USMF), the 501c3 fundraising arm of the University of Southern Maine.
