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The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library
Guide to Donating Materials

Making A Gift

What the Library Collects

Collecting Formats

The Library collects materials in various formats, including:

  • Books
  • Computer media (diskettes, etc.)
  • Correspondence (personal and professional)
  • Diaries / Journals
  • Drafts of creative works
  • Films / Videotapes
  • Financial Records
  • Legal Records
  • Memoirs / Reminiscences
  • Memoranda
  • Newsletters and other Organizational Publications
  • Office Files
  • Oral History Tapes, Transcripts, and Supporting Materials
  • Pamphlets / Brochures / Fliers
  • Photographs
  • Postcards
  • Reports
  • Scrapbooks
  • Sheet Music
  • Sound Recordings
  • Speeches / Lectures
  • Subject Files
Lux Video Theatre script

Lux Video Theatre script. Gift of the J. Walter Thompson Company.

 Fight on Sisters

Fight on Sisters: and Other Songs for Liberation. Gift of Bobbye Ortiz.

 Ancient Egyptian papyrus

Ancient Egyptian papyrus. Gift of William H. Willis.

For more on the types of manuscript materials generally collected by special collections libraries like Duke's, as well as general information on the gift process, please see the Society of American Archivists' brochures A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository, and A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository. The American Library Association brochure Your Old Books: Frequently Asked Questions About Rare Books and Book Values can provide guidance on making donations of printed materials.