Donate to Collections

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the collections of the Center for Brooklyn History!

Each year, artifacts, personal papers, organizational records, photographs, and fine art are added to the collections through the generosity of our community. These donations help us document and interpret Brooklyn’s rich history.

Center for Brooklyn History is committed to preserving and growing our collections in a responsible way, and considerations for the collection are governed by the Collection Development Policy. Preference is given to cohesive groupings of materials rather than individual items, particularly for documents and photographs. Because of the volume of offerings we receive, we cannot accept donations in person or through the mail without prior written communication with our collections staff. We reply only to inquiries about donations we determine are appropriate for our permanent collections.

All proposed donations must be submitted in writing to cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org with the following information:

• Your full name and contact information
• Description of the item(s), including dimensions, quantity, subjects represented, names of any known creators, and how you came to have these materials
• Date or estimated date range of item(s)
• Condition of the item(s) (i.e. conserved, fine, good, fair, poor, brittle, moldy)
• Photographs of items (cell phone photographs are acceptable)

Please note that material deposited at the Center for Brooklyn History without prior written communication and assessment by Collections staff becomes the absolute and unconditional property of CBH. The Center for Brooklyn History is free to make all decisions in accordance with its established policies and procedures with respect to the retention, storage, processing, use, and disposition of the material.