Frequently Asked Questions About Journal Donation

What is the Journal Donation Project?
Founded in 1990, the Journal Donation Project (JDP) has grown into a major international library assistance program. The Project’s library network currently is comprised of over 300 libraries throughout 30 countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern and Central Europe, plus Ghana, Nigeria, Iran and Vietnam. Through the JDP, these libraries receive approximately 6,000 subscriptions annually.

What is Bridge to Asia?
Bridge to Asia is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that supports higher education and research in developing countries in Asia. It sends donated books and journals to universities, provides research services using the Internet to answer urgent and complex questions, and helps to develop in-country libraries and computer networks that make knowledge more accessible. It has sent six million books and journals to China and 500,000 to Southeast Asia.

Academic and professional journals donated to Bridge to Asia must be in sets of 10 consecutive years or more and the journal runs should reach the current year, or come as close to it as possible.

Will I get a receipt for my donation?
JDP and Bridge to Asia are qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and are able to provide receipts for/acknowledgment of your donation.

Do I need to have my collection appraised?
Neither organization is able to assess the value of your collection, so you will need to hire your own appraiser (at your cost).

Are there shipping costs to me involved?
Once you have contacted JDP in New York City, USA, with your inventory list, they will match your donation with a recipient library or institution. You must ship your inventory directly to the donee, but your shipping costs can be added to your total donation receipt.

Bridge to Asia also regrets that it cannot reimburse shipping costs, but all out-of-pocket expenses, including shipping and packaging costs, are tax deductible together with the value of your materials.

How do I prepare my donation?
Before contacting JDP, you should prepare a detailed inventory list (publication name(s), volume, number, year, quantity, condition), noting any issues missing from your collection. Your inventory list will also be necessary for tax purposes if you intend to report your donation to the IRS. Then contact JDP to discuss your inventory and whether they can match your inventory with a donee.

If they match your donation with a recipient, you will need to sort your journals and/or other materials into boxes, clearly labeling which boxes contain what. Package and ship your collection to the library or institution indicated by JDP. Send to JDP at the address below the inventory list, appraisal information, your shipping costs, and your name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address (if available) so that your receipt can be sent and in case any questions arise concerning your shipment.

The Journal Donation Project
New School University
65 Fifth Avenue, Room 416
New York, NY 10003

When donating through Bridge to Asia, prepare an inventory list (as above). Be sure to keep a copy of your inventory list. Call, email, or fax Bridge to Asia with your contact information and inventory list, along with appraisal information and your shipping costs:

Tel.: (415) 678-2990
Fax: (415) 678-2996
E-mail: asianet@bridge.org

Pack your donations in a carton. Ship them by UPS, or mail them by Media Mail rate (formerly Special Standard) or Library Mail rate. More information is available at the Bridge to Asia Web site. Address your materials to:

Bridge to Asia
Foreign Trade Services
Pier 23
San Francisco CA 94111

or

Bridge to Asia
Follett Higher Education Group
2211 West Street
River Grove, IL 60171-1800

When should I expect my receipt?
After JDP has received confirmation that your shipment was received by the donee institution, it will issue you a receipt.

Upon receiving your donation at one of its warehouses and your contact information at its administrative office in San Francisco, Bridge to Asia will send you an IRS form and an acknowledgment of your donation, including all indicated costs, on its letterhead.

Whom do I contact for further information?
If you would like more information, please contact these organizations directly:

Beatrice Wainaina, Project Manager
The Journal Donation Project
Tel.: (212) 229-5789

Chong-Lim Lee, Project Manager
Tel.: (212) 229-1041
Fax: (212) 229-5476
E-mail: jdp@newschool.edu
Web: http://www.newschool.edu/centers/jdp

Newton Liu
Bridge to Asia
Tel.: (415) 678-2990
Fax: (415) 678-2996
E-mail: asianet@bridge.org
Web: http://www.bridge.org

Thank you for donating your ASIL publications to communities in need!