Donating Items to the Archives

Donations

Donations of items pertaining to the history of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis may be made to the archives. The archives is especially interested in:

  • Photographs of archdiocesan Catholic history
  • Parish history books
  • Papers pertaining to archdiocesan bishops, priests, and religious
  • Liturgical items in good condition that can be given to other parishes

Please contact the archives in advance to determine the suitability of your item for donation. Sometimes a potential donation that might seem like a good fit is already part of the archives’ collection.

The archives is unable to accept donations of:

  • General religion/theology/history books
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Broken, worn, or unusable liturgical items
  • Vestments
  • Personal devotional items not usable by a church (e.g., rosaries, prayer cards, sick call kits)
  • Framed artwork
  • Individual family history items

Disposal of Blessed Items – Items that have been blessed should be disposed of reverently, through burning or burial. Further information at: https://catholicdos.org/disposal-of-religious-items

Books

The archives often receives questions regarding what can be done with used books, including rare or historic books. The archdiocesan archives does not collect general books, even if they are antique and/or devoted to Catholic topics. Below are a few suggestions for disposing of unneeded books:

  • Indianapolis Public Library - Accepts donations of books for their frequent book sales, which benefit the Library Foundation. Information on eligible books and where to donate them can be found at: https://indyplfoundation.org/book-sale
  • Caveat Emptor Used Books - A rare bookstore located in Bloomington, IN which purchases/trades rare and collectible books. Information at: http://www.caveatemptorbloomington.com/we-buy-trade-books
  • Preserving Christian Publications – An online book dealer specializing in rare and out-of-print Catholic books. Information at: https://www.pcpbooks.net/prestashop/contact-us
  • Theological Book Network - Accepts donations of theology/religion books published in 1990 or later to be used in seminaries and educational institutions around the world. Information on eligible books and where to donate them can be found at: https://www.theologicalbooknetwork.org/books
  • Kubick Fine Books - A used bookstore located in Dayton, OH that will travel to purchase used book collections if the books meet the store’s needs. Information at: https://www.kubikbooks.com/
  • Zubal Books – A used bookstore located in Cleveland, OH that will travel to purchase used book collections if the books meet the store’s needs. Information at: https://www.zubalbooks.com/sell.jsp

St. Mary Recycle Mission

St. Mary Recycle Mission is an organization that accepts used religious articles and liturgical items for use by other parishes, groups, and individuals that have a need for them. The mission makes pick-ups of items at locations around the country during scheduled times of the year, but can also accept donations of items by mail. Further information available at: https://stmaryrecyclemissiongroup.com/

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