General Statement
No gift will be accepted, unless it is freely given with the agreement that the Library may:
- Dispose of the gift as it sees fit (including selling it, discarding it, or giving it away)
- Store the gift
- Move the gift to various locations.
Gifts of Materials
The Perry County Public Library System gladly accepts donations of books and A/V materials, with the understanding that they are subject to the same criteria for inclusion in the collection as purchased materials. The Library reserves the right to accept or dispose of any gift through transfer to another library, transfer to the Friends of the Library group for inclusion in their sales or for charitable donations, or to discard them. The Library will not provide a valuation of donated materials for tax purposes.
Items that will not be accepted for donation include: items that are moldy or odorous, items that are water damaged, and items in poor physical condition.
Gifts of Periodical Subscriptions
Subscriptions to periodicals chosen by the Library staff are gladly accepted.
Monetary Gifts
The Library accepts monetary donations without conditions on their use. Such money is deposited in the Friends of the Library account for future expenditure.
Donations will also be accepted for the purpose of purchasing Library materials consistent with the Library’s selection practices. Such money is deposited in the Friends of the Library account for expenditure by the Library Director or Branch Manager.
Memorials
The Library actively encourages donations as memorials and as tributes to living individuals on special occasions. Such acts provide the Library with an opportunity to add materials, purchase equipment, or fund activities which it might not otherwise be able to afford.
Except in rare circumstances, memorials and tributes are accepted in the form of monetary donations. The Library will make every effort to honor the donor’s wishes regarding the selection to be purchased. However, the final decision rests with the Library in accordance with its needs and selection criteria.
Bookplates will be placed in items purchased with memorial and tribute gift funds. Each bookplate will record the honoree as well as the donor. The Library will maintain a register of memorial donations. Memorial donations in excess of $5 will be recognized by sending letters to notify all parties of the gift. Items purchased with memorial gifts are subject to the same criteria for retention in the collection as purchased materials. The Perry County Public Library System reserves the right to remove such items by returning them to the donor (if desired), by transfer to another library, inclusion in book sales, or donation to charity.
Artwork
Due to limited space, the Library will avoid the installation of permanent displays or artistic decorations.
Miscellaneous Gifts
A temporary decision as to the acceptance of furnishings, appliances, and equipment shall be made by the Library Director or Branch Manager and is dependent on the final decision by the Board of Trustees. Criteria influencing the decision include need, space, impact on staff, and expense and frequency of maintenance.
The decision as to the acceptance of all other gifts not addressed in this policy shall be made by the Library Director or Branch Manager.