Donation Policy – All Gifts

Donations are welcome, with the donor’s acknowledgment and understanding of the following policies and conditions:

The Library reserves the right to accept, refuse or discard any donations. A donation will be judged based on its suitability to the purposes and needs of the Library. Any donation which will cause the Library to incur annual or periodic maintenance costs must be separately endowed by the donor to the satisfaction of the Library.

We WILL accept:

• Hardcover or paperback books in good condition
• Clean items with evidence of gentle use
• Commercially published media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, videogames)

We CANNOT accept:

• Encyclopedias of any age
• Readers Digest condensed novels
• Magazines
• Academic or Professional textbooks or journals
• VHS videotapes
• Non-fiction (cookbooks, self-help, biographies, etc.)
• Items with visible signs of damage; soiled, smoke or water damage, mold or mildew, infested with insects
• Computer software

Approved donations will be used, loaned, displayed, donated, traded, sold or otherwise disposed of at the sole discretion of the Library. Donated items will not be returned to the donor, and the Library will not accept anything that is not an outright donation.

Every effort will be made to abide by agreements made with respect to donations. However, because of circumstances such as ordinary wear, theft, mutilation, obsolescence and changing Library needs, no guarantee is made that any donation will be permanently displayed or kept by the Library.

Receipt given by the Library to donor is limited to a general acknowledgment of donation(s) received. Assignment of value for income tax or other purposes is the responsibility of the donor. The Library does not appraise materials for donors, nor endorse appraisals provided by donors. It is recommended that the donor make a list of any item(s) donated. The library, when requested, will furnish to the donor a statement for tax purposes for all donations of cash, but will not specify or estimate the financial value of any non-cash donation.

The Library accepts monetary contributions of any amount. Unrestricted monetary contributions may be used as determined by the Director, as authorized by the Board of Trustees, within the limits of the law. Proposed restrictions on gifts of monies or materials must be submitted in writing and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Memorial Gift Donations

The library encourages memorial donations as a way to remember a friend or loved one. Material donated for this purpose must meet the library’s collection development policy. Memorial bookplates will be placed in the book. 

All gifts are accepted with the understanding that it may someday be necessary that they be sold or disposed of in the best interest of the library. The Library cannot commit itself to perpetually housing a donation.