Library Collection Management or Special Collections staff review all donations of gifts-in-kind (books, journals, photographs, and other materials) received in each calendar year.   Upon recommendation of the Friends Council in its November 14, 1991, meeting, those individuals, corporations, or other organizations contributing gifts-in-kind which are internally valued at $100 or more will be added to the membership of the UMBC Friends of the Library & Gallery.  Individual gift-in-kind donors are eligible for one year's borrowing privileges as a Special Borrower.  Individual donors joining the Friends with a cash gift of $50 or more are also eligible for borrowing privileges for one year. Memberships are active for no less than one calendar year from date of donation. In some cases gifts are received in the Fall for the following year's Friends membership; in such cases, borrowing privileges may be granted immediately and extended to the end of the following calendar year.

Exceptions: Academic, public, and school libraries which transfer library materials to the Kuhn Library & Gallery will not be awarded Friends membership (for example, books given by Baltimore County Public Library). However, for materials transferred from libraries of corporations, Friends membership will be awarded to the parent corporation (for example, for photographs given by the library of The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Sun will be awarded membership). Corporate memberships do not carry Library borrowing privileges.

PROCEDURES

1. Library Collection Management staff or other staff designated by the Director of the Library evaluates gift-in-kind after receipt. Collection Management staff prepare gift paperwork, including a thank you letter to the donor from the Director of the Library and update the Friends database.
2. Donors to the Library of gifts in kind and cash gifts are sent thank you letters. Donors may present such letters to claim borrowing privileges at the Circulation service desk. Staff will then give them Special Borrower privileges for one year from the date on the letter, or as stated in the letter, whichever is longer.
3. Verification in the absence of a letter: If a person claims to be a Friend of the Library & Gallery but does not have their letter, staff are to call the Administrative Offices Administrative Assistant to verify their eligibility. A backup would be to call the Collection Management unit for verification. All gifts to the Library (cash and gift in kind) are recorded in the Friends database to which staff in Collection Management and the Library Administrative Offices have access. If the person claims Friends borrowing privileges outside of office working hours but does not have their letter, Circulation staff may award the privilege, have the eligibility checked later, and cancel the privileges if we cannot confirm eligibility.
4. In all cases, the prospective Special Borrower must show a government issued picture ID or be known to a staff member.
5. If there is ambiguity regarding which date to use for the start of the year of borrowing privileges, use the most generous of the possibilities. Lifetime members should be indefinitely renewed.

effective 6/17/92, rev 3/24/2008 LW, 3/25/08, 4/7/08 ld, 7/30/09 lw, 6/25/12 lw to be consistent with other docs re $50 for Borrowing Privileges.