Gift Policy

Donation of Materials

Gift Acceptance & Use

The Woodbridge Public Library welcomes the donation of materials for its collection, provided the donated resources are consistent with the policies and mission set forth in the library collection development plan and not too costly to add to the collection. Donations are not necessarily "free." Library processing costs for material, computer time, and personnel are all weighed before a potential gift is added to a collection.

If a gift does not comply with library material selection criteria or is too expensive to process, it will be politely declined. If asked, the library will assist a prospective donor in finding a potential alternate donee for the declined gift.

The library reserves the right to retain or dispose of donated materials.

Gift Appraisal

The library does not appraise gift items. Any appraisal information used by the donor for tax purposes is the sole responsibility of the donor. The library accepts no responsibility for the valuation of any gifts, and its actions comply with all laws and regulations involving library donations. The Tax Reform Act of 1984 dictates the responsibilities of the donation-acquiring library and the donor in all such transactions.

Priority for Gift Inclusion

Gifts added to the library collection are processed and treated the same way as purchased items. Examples of gift material likely to be accepted for the collection or not include:

Accepted

The Library welcomes donations of materials that are:

  • Supportive of the library's mission
  • In good condition
  • Fall within heavily-used subject areas of the collection (e.g. crafts)
  • Local- or state-focused material
  • High-demand items (e.g., popular fiction)
  • Special collection material (e.g., art books, current reference material, paperbacks)

Not Accepted

The Library does not accept donations of materials for its collection that are:

  • In poor condition
  • Outdated editions or texts (e.g. old textbooks, encyclopedias, obsolete formats)
  • Not in demand by library users
  • Duplicates of material owned by the library in sufficient quantity
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers

The library may accept at its discretion:

  • Gift subscriptions of current- interest magazines compatible with its acquisitions policy, while reserving the right to retain or dispose of back issues as need and space permit
  • Gifts of toys and games that are clean and in good condition for use in the children's sections (no toys with sharp edges, parts so small they can be swallowed or toys that make noise are accepted as donations)
  • Materials it would not normally acquire in accordance with its normal selection policy (e.g., sectarian groups publication whose acquisition is not warranted by public interest)

Monetary Gifts

The library accepts financial donations. In the case of outright monetary donations, the library reserves the right to direct the funds to identified areas of need, which may include services, collection development or library equipment. The library may consult with the donor about restrictions before a gift is accepted. In the case of memorial / honor donations, donor subject matter preferences are solicited and taken into account for the purchase decision.

The director administers all monetary gifts over $2,500 and any gift involving an initial or continuing commitment on the part of the library.

Historical Documents

Historical documents of local significance, including newspapers, letters, journals, diaries, and photographs, are accepted for the library's historical collection at the discretion of the director and local history librarian. Donors are required to sign a "Gift Agreement Form" transferring sole and exclusive ownership of the document(s) to the library.

Artwork

Artwork donations are accepted at the discretion of the Woodbridge Public Library Board of Trustees and the library director, who reserve the right to determine the artwork's display location and the means of its display. The board may require that any artwork donation be accompanied by a current appraisal of value. Donors are required to sign a "Gift Agreement Form" transferring sole and exclusive ownership of the artwork to the library.

Equipment & Furnishings

Equipment and furnishings donations are accepted at the discretion of the director. Donors are required to sign a "Gift Agreement Form" transferring sole and exclusive ownership of the equipment and furnishings to the library.

Forms

  1. Gift Agreement Form (PDF)

Approval Dates

  • Approved - Board of Library Trustees - May 21, 2015
  • Revised - Board of Library Trustees - February 21, 2019