Gifts and Donations Policy

In general, Memorial Hall Library welcomes gifts of money, books, materials, equipment, art objects, documents, photographs, or property of any kind, which promotes the mission of the Library. The Library reserves the right to decline to accept any gift that the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems to be not in the best interests of the Library to accept.

If a gift is accepted by the Library, the gift shall be final and no restrictions on the Library's ownership, possession, use or disposition of the gift shall be effective other than restrictions approved by the express vote of the Board of Trustees and memorialized in writing.

Monetary gifts

The library welcomes gifts of cash or stock. Opportunities for establishing a permanent named fund are available and charitable Trusts can be tailored to meet individual needs. If the gift is used to purchase library materials, library staff will try to accommodate the donor's subject or title preferences. A plate with the donor's name will be affixed to the item purchased, if so desired.

Materials

Gifts of books or other materials in good condition are made to the Friends of Memorial Hall Library. Donated material is accepted with the understanding that the items are donated to the Friends, and may or may not be added to the collection. Items which are not added to collections may, at the discretion of the Friends, be distributed to other libraries and organizations, or otherwise disposed of. (See also the Library's Gifts policy in the MHL Collection Development Manual and Book Donation FAQs on the library's web page.)

Collections

Gift collections will be accepted only by the Director in consultation with the Board of Trustees, and with the understanding that the collection may not be kept intact.

Recognition gifts

The Library welcomes monetary gifts for purchase of materials for the collection given in recognition of individuals or organizations. The library staff will choose items which accommodate the donor's subject or title preferences, whenever possible. The names of the donor(s) and those recognized by the gift will be listed on a bookplate affixed to the material, if so desired.

Real estate or other personal property

The Library will accept gifts of real property that either support, or could be sold to support, the mission of the Library. Such offers will be handled by the Director, who in consultation with the Board of Trustees will determine the suitability of the gift and the terms of acceptance compatible with the Library's mission and policies, the donor's intent, and applicable laws.

Art & decoration objects

In general, gifts of art objects shall be of local interest to the community, of a professional quality, well executed and in good condition. As with all other gifts, final responsibility for acceptance of a work of art resides with the Board of Trustees. Art objects will be accepted only with the donor's full agreement that the Library has the right to handle or oversee the disposition of the gift in the best interests of the institution. Because of the Library's limited display and storage areas and focus on its primary mission as a library and not a museum, potential donors of art & decorative objects are requested to discuss any possible gifts with the Director and Board of Trustees in advance. (See also the Library's Permanent Art Collection policy under the policies of MHL section of the web page).

No gifts posing a danger or threat to patrons will be accepted (e. g. metal sculpture with sharp, moving parts). No gifts that require extensive, regular special care, or conservation will be accepted.

Any signage related to a gift must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Landscaping Items, Exterior Ornamentation, Sculpture, and Signs

The acceptance and location of gifts of landscaping items, gifts of exterior ornamentation, sculpture and signs will be made by the Board of Trustees, in conjunction with the Library Director. The major criterion on which the decision will be based is the appropriateness of the offered gifts to the landscaping plan for the building.

Valuation

The Library will provide a timely, written acknowledgment of the receipt of gifts to the donor and, if desired, to a recognized individual or organization. Income tax regulations leave the determination of the gift's monetary value to the donor. Donors wishing to have an appraisal of their gifts done for income tax purposes should do so prior to donation.

Future disposition of gifts

Libraries used extensively by their patrons sustain losses through ordinary wear, theft, and mutilation. Also, resources with obsolete and/or misleading information may be discarded with time. The Library therefore cannot guarantee that any gift will be a permanent part of the collection, furnishings, building, or grounds. Articles may be offered to other Town departments, other libraries, transferred to the Friends, or otherwise removed. The Library is not able to notify donors before disposition of gifts.

Approved by the Library Board of Trustees

March 14, 2012

Gift Agreement (pdf 10k)