Donating Books and Other Materials

Wells Public Library greatly appreciates donations of books, DVDs, and CDs (both music and audiobooks) offered by generous members of the community.

The library will accept only new and used materials that are clean and in good condition. (A library staff member will determine if materials are clean and in good condition. We spend considerable time and energy sorting through the donations and it is surprising to learn that many of them are unusable.) Due to severely limited storage space, we ask that you donate only 1 bag or box per week, and that you carry out those materials the library cannot accept.

The library is not able to accept the following materials:

• Vinyl record albums
• Encyclopedias
• Textbooks
• Computer manuals that are older than 2 years
• Readers Digest Condensed Books
• Magazines (New magazines may be accepted for our “Free Magazine Swap” as space permits.)
• VHS Tapes
• Books on Cassette 

Donated materials cannot be accepted if patrons wish to place conditions or restrictions on the use of the materials.

While Wells Public Library is not allowed to provide an appraisal to the value of donated books and other materials, we are always happy to provide an acknowledgement of receipt of the materials. Patrons wishing to claim a deduction on their tax returns for donation purposes should have the fair market value of the materials established prior to donation. For further information on non-cash contributions, see IRS Publication 526 entitled “Charitable Contributions”.

Materials not added to the library’s collection may be sold in book sales sponsored by the Friends of the Wells Public Library. Proceeds from the sale of donated materials are used to support library activities.

We appreciate your donations and thank you for your compliance with this policy.

5/05, 9/09; Approved by the Library Board of Trustees