Book Donations to the Friends of MHL
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
See also the Library's
Gifts and Donations Policy
Q: What do you do with the items I
donate to you?
When you donate books, you are
actually donating books to the
Friends of
Memorial Hall Library. Our
Friends
run our book sales. The money they earn
at the book sales is used to help the
library. However, before the books or
other items are turned over to the
Friends,
the library looks at the books and
selects those items that fill gaps in
our collection, and we add those items
to our collection. So when you donate
books, you are helping the library,
whether we add the books to the
collection or the Friends sell the
books. Back to Top
Q: Why don't you add everything you
are given to your collection?
Any books that we choose to add to
the collection must meet our regular
selection criteria as outlined in our
Collection Development Manual.
Sometimes the donated item doesn't meet
these criteria -- it may contain dated
information, it may be in poor
condition, or it may not meet the
information needs of our community.
Sometimes we have enough copies of the
donated title, or enough information on
the subject. If we can't use the item,
we turn it over to the
Friends
who try to sell the item in the book
sale, or donate it to others who have
use for the item (prisons, schools,
doctor's offices, other libraries, other
countries).
Back to Top
Q: Can I get a receipt for the items
I donate?
We are not able to quote a value for
the items you give us, but upon request
the Circulation Desks will give you a
receipt on library stationery for the
number of items donated and the date of
donation. Back to Top
Q: What kinds of items do you like
to receive?
Most importantly, we like to receive
current titles in excellent condition.
Titles in poor condition do not hold up
to library processing and circulation
(think of the book drops!) These are the
things we love to get:
- Current and former bestsellers in
excellent condition, both fiction and
nonfiction
- Hardback classics in excellent
condition
- Fiction paperbacks in like-new
condition
- Children's titles in good
condition (sell well!)
- Really, really new unmarked
textbooks (published in the last 3
years)
- Historical material related to
Andover and the Merrimack Valley
- Unabridged audio recordings, both
fiction and nonfiction
- Business and language audiotapes
- Feature film DVDs from the last year
-- purchased, not copied, with covers
in good condition
- CDs - popular works
Back to Top
Q: What kinds of items can't you
use?
- Items in poor condition -- yellow
pages, highlighted text, mildew odor
- Textbooks more than three years
old
- Encyclopedias of any age
- Back issues or runs of magazines
- Condensed books
- Dated nonfiction
- Videocassette (VHS) movies
We can't add these items to our
collection, and from experience we know
that people won't buy them at the book
sales. This means that if you are
bringing them to us because you don't
have the heart to discard them, we just
discard them for you, and you've wasted
all that energy lugging the stuff to the
library. It's OK to discard books that
have lived the good life, given you
pleasure, but are no longer in demand or
useful! Really.
Back to Top
Q: What do you do with books that
are left over after the Friends Book
Sale?
The Friends send unsold books to organizations and businesses that either donate the
books to charities or attempt to sell them. When these organizations and businesses sell
the books, a portion of the proceeds go to the Friends and to charities. Back to Top
Q. Where do I bring the items I want
to donate?
If you come in the back (Parking Lot) entrance, go down the hall past the staircase, toward the elevator, and leave books on the collection cart. If you come in the front (Main Street) entrance, just give the items to the staff at the Circulation Desk. If you need a receipt, bring the items to the Circulation Desk or the desk in the Children's Room.
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