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Under longstanding policy, Federal libraries are encouraged to transfer their surplus library materials to the Library of Congress (LC). Such transferred materials may be needed to fill gaps in the Library's holdings, to use for exchanges, to transfer to other Federal agencies, and to make available through LC's surplus book programs to other qualified recipients.
LC has narrowed the scope of surplus materials it can accept from other Federal libraries. Only transfers of surplus and duplicate soft or hard-bound books (monographs, monographic series, annuals, etc.) will be accepted from Federal agencies and only in the following categories.
- Novels
- Reference works (e.g. encyclopedias, directories, guides, such as Encyclopedia of Associations, The World of Learning, The Statesman's Yearbook, Books in Print, etc.) not older than three years
And not older than five years in:
- Humanities (art, music, belles lettres etc.)
- History and area studies
- Social sciences (economics, politics, etc.)
- Education
- Science (agriculture, medicine, computer science, mathematics, physics, etc.)
The Library will no longer accept bound and unbound serials. Federal agencies are asked to dispose of serials in accordance with their regulations governing the disposal of surplus and duplicate materials.
LC requests notification at the earliest possible time of any government libraries that are scheduled to close or be substantially reduced. The Library also requests that shipments of 1,000 pounds or more be cleared in advance.
For more information, or for questions concerning shipments and the usefulness of an agency's surplus books to the Library of Congress, please contact:
Joseph Mahar
Acquisitions Fiscal & Support Office (LS/ABA/AFS)
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4204
Phone: 202+707-9524
Fax: 202+707-9440