Appraising Judaica and Hebraica Books: The Treasures on Your Shelves

Abstract

The four purposes for which one may need a book appraisal are: income tax and charitable presentation to institutions, insurance, buying and selling, and estate requirements. Some of the criteria used to determine whether it is worthwhile to obtain an appraisal of a book collection are: age, content, illustrations, place of publication, publisher, condition of the items, marginal notes, and previous owners. The evaluation of various items that may be donated to a synagogue or center library—English-language Judaica, Hebrew and Yiddish books, archival and primary source material—is also discussed.