Our collection has been built primarily through donations
from generous cartoonists, collectors, and fans. If you are
interested in making a donation, please contact us at cartoons@osu.edu or
614-292-0538.
The Cartoon Research Library collects materials related to
printed cartoon art including the following genres:
. Comic Books
. Comic Strips
. Editorial Cartoons
. Graphic Novels
. Magazine Cartoons
. Sports Cartoons
We do not collect animation materials.
. Books about cartooning and cartoonists
. Books containing cartoons or cartoon illustrations.
. Periodicals containing, about or related to printed cartoons
. Original Art
. Manuscript collections related to cartoonists and the
business of cartooning including correspondence, business
records, scrapbooks, ephemera, clippings and proof sheets.
We are a special collection with particular emphasis on the
long-term preservation of all the materials accepted into
our collection. Therefore, our materials do not circulate
outside the Cartoon Research Library except as exhibition
loans to other institutions. Access to all of our collections
is available for researchers, scholars, students, and members
of the public in our supervised reading room. Materials are
stored in closed stacks in our climate-controlled facility
which is protected by an electronic security system.
Gifts to The Ohio State University are considered charitable
contributions. The fair market value of donated materials
(gifts-in-kind) is tax-deductible in most cases. One exception
is that artists are currently prohibited by law from deducting
the fair market value when donating their own artwork. Please
consult your tax advisor for advice on charitable deductions.
Information is also available at Internal
Revenue Service
Curators and librarians of The Ohio State University Libraries
cannot provide appraisals for materials offered as gifts-in-kind
because the Internal Revenue Service regards the Libraries
as an interested party to such contributions. In general,
an appraisal is not necessary for gifts-in-kind valued at
less than $5,000 by the donor. Additional information on
appraisals and qualified appraisers is included in Internal
Revenue Service form 8283 which must be filed by persons
claiming the donation of a gift-in-kind valued at more than
$500. Form 8283 is available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8283.pdf.
A list of appraisers is available at the Cartoon
Research Library's Appraisals section.
Assignment of copyright is often very complex in the case
of cartoon art. The copyright may be owned by the creator,
his or her heirs, the syndicate, the publisher or another
party. The original copyright owner maintains the copyright
of all donated materials, unless copyright ownership is expressly
transferred to the Cartoon Research Library. The Cartoon
Research Library may own the physical object (letter, original
cartoon, etc.) but not the copyright
If all parties agree that the Cartoon Research Library is
the appropriate repository for your gift-in-kind, then our
staff will work with you to arrange the physical transfer
of the material. An instrument of donation outlining the
terms and conditions of the donation will be sent to you
for your approval and signature, along with a letter acknowledging
your gift.
Information about donating to libraries and special collections
is available at the Society of American Archivists website.
"A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a
Repository
www.archivists.org/publications/donating-familyrecs.asp
"A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository"
www.archivists.org/publications/donating-orgrecs.asp
