About Us: Acquisitions Program

Growing the NLM Historical Collections

The Acquisitions Program in the History of Medicine at NLM oversees the selection and purchase of rare books, manuscripts, prints, and other materials, many of which become available only once in a decade and on occasion once in a lifetime.

The Acquisitions Program develops the Library's pre-eminent collection of the world’s literature in the history of medicine. The collection includes a wide variety of formats and literature types, including books, journals, manuscripts, pamphlets, broadsides, pictures, and films ranging in date from the 15th century to the present.

Basing selections on a broad interpretation of medical thought and practice, the Acquisitions Program ensures that future generations will have a rich collection of material to better understand the history of medicine and science.

Collection Development at NLM

The Acquisitions Program works in collaboration with the Collection Branch of the National Library of Medicine, which supports the growth and maintenance of the general and history of medicine collections within the parameters established by the Library's Collection Development Guidelines.

How to Donate

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is authorized by the U.S. Congress to accept bequests and donations in support of its mission, including historical items of a variety of formats. Please visit Donations to the National Library of Medicine for more information.

Historical Materials

The History of Medicine welcomes donations of historically significant medical material. If you wish to donate historical material, please contact us or fax a list of items, including author, title, format, and place and date of publication.

More information on donating materials:

For Images, Films, Archives & PapersA Guide for Prospective Donors (PDF)
For Print Journals NLM Journal Donation Program
About Donations To NLM Donations to the National Library of Medicine
Friends of the National Library of Medicine
The NLM Collection Development Guidelines

Appraisals

Note: The Library does not appraise manuscripts or other historical material.

To find a book dealer to appraise your rare or out-of-print material, we suggest the following:

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) publishes an annual membership directory. The ABAA Directory includes subject and geographical indices.
Many book dealers maintain web sites, which can be found through your search engine.
The American Book Trade Directory may also be helpful for book prices.
Your Old Books is the late Peter Van Wingen’s useful guide to frequently asked questions about rare books and book values.
You can also find an appraisal expert from American Society of Appraisers.
For more suggestions, check the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room.