The library accepts donations of items in new or good condition according to the specifications in this policy. The library cannot guarantee that donations will be added to the circulating collection. The library’s Collection Development Policy will determine the acquisition of donated items. Items not added to the collection will be gifted to The Friends of the Kent Free Library for future book sales to raise funds for the library. Leftover book sale items may be recycled or offered to other local organizations and non-profits.
Donated Materials Include:
- New materials sent unsolicited by organizations, government agencies, publishers or vendors.
- Previously owned items including books, DVDs, CDs or other library materials appropriate to current holdings.
Previously Owned Items Accepted for Donation Include:
- Popular fiction in hardback and paperback.
- New non-fiction (generally published within the last 2-3 years).
- Children’s books. DVDs, CDs, and unabridged audiobooks on CD.
- Local history items related to Kent.
Items Not Accepted for Donation:
The library will refuse to accept the following donated items as they are not suitable for the library’s circulating collection and are unable to be sold at a book sale:
- Items in poor physical condition. This includes items that are yellowed, dirty, torn, missing pages or cover, brittle pages, mildewed or otherwise hazardous to someone’s health, excessive highlighting or handwriting, and scratched or worn audiovisual items.
- Textbooks more than 2 years old.
- Mail order catalogs.
- Magazines (except Craft, Gardening, Cooking or Hobby subjects from the current year).
- Encyclopedias, full or partial sets.
- Medical/Health books more than 5 years old.
- Condensed/Abridged books, including Reader’s Digest.
- Cassettes (audio or video)
To Donate Materials to the Library:
Donations are accepted at the library’s Information Desk during regular library hours.
Donations of large quantities (more than one box) will not be accepted at the Information Desk and will need to be approved by the Library Director or his/her designee prior to delivery to the library.
Library staff is unable to pick up donations from residential or commercial locations.
Library staff will determine if the donated materials are appropriate for the circulating collection. Library staff is not responsible for notifying donors about the status of a donation. Donations are non-returnable.
Donors may request a receipt for tax purposes. Please note that library staff can issue a receipt with the total number of items donated, but the value of the donation cannot be determined. Library staff is unable to advise donors on the tax deductibility of gifts.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on April 16, 2015