Donations/Volunteering

 

1. Donate Books and More
   

2.   Make a Monetary Donation
   

3. Volunteer Opportunities: Contact your local library branch manager

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Donate Books and More

ABC Libraries Donation of Books and Other Materials Policy

Friends for the Public Library Donation Guidelines

ABC Libraries Donation of Books and other Materials Policy

Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Libraries appreciates the generosity of those who wish to donate books and other materials. Donations of books and audiovisual materials that are in good condition are accepted. Some items will not be accepted in the branches. For example, books with mold, handwriting and/or highlighting, magazines, Reader’s Digest condensed books, encyclopedias or textbooks cannot be accepted. Donors are encouraged to recycle these items.

Donations are reviewed at the branch level and may be selectively added to our collection. Factors considered for addition are content, condition, currency, relevance, collection need and space. Please be aware that there is a financial burden for the library to add donated items to the collection. These costs include: evaluation, data entry, accounting, cataloging, processing and distribution. In some cases these costs may exceed the cost of the item being donated.
Most donations become the property of The Friends for the Public Library and are sold at Book Sales for the benefit of Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Libraries. Friends’ Book Sales provide vital funds for library programs and services at all 17 branches. The Friends decide if an item will be sold at a Book Sale or recycled if appropriate. Donated materials are not able to be returned.

Author and publisher donations will be vetted by the Collections Development Manager. These items must meet the same standards as all other materials donations. Items not added to the collection will be sent to the Friends. By law the library cannot appraise donations, but will gladly issue receipts for the number of items donated. Monetary gifts are accepted and used to purchase materials as requested by the donor.

 

Friends for the Public Library Donation Guidelines

The Friends gladly accept donations of gently used books and more based on the general guidelines below. Some items may be added to the Library's collection, but the majority are sold at their monthly used book sales or in the Main Library Bookshop. For more information about the sales, visit the Friends of the Library.

 

What we would like to receive:

• Gently used hardback and paperback books, fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults
• All antique or collectible books regardless of condition, including first editions and autographed copies
• Multi-media (music, books, and movies) including record albums and commercially recorded cassettes, CDs, DVDs

What we do not accept:

• Damaged books (broken spines, missing covers, stained, mildewed, excessively highlighted or underlined)
• Reader's Digest Condensed Books
• Magazines including National Geographics
• Textbooks over five years old
• Encyclopedias over 10 years old
• Obsolete or outdated items

If you still have questions about what we will or won't accept, please call the Friends @ 505-768-5167.

Where...When
Donations can be dropped off during regular hours at any branch library except Alamosa, Ernie Pyle, Special Collections, or Westgate.   Library Hours and Map. A few things to remember:

• Items left after hours may be damaged or stolen
• Large donations are best accepted @ Main Library
• Staff may not be available to assist you unload
• Call 768-5141 if you have additional questions

Value of your donation
Your donation is tax deductible. Although we are unable to assign a dollar value to your donation, we are happy to give you an "Acknowledgement of Donation" at the time of drop-off.

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Make a Monetary Donation

Monetary gifts to the library are placed in special accounts and can be used only for library programs and services. All gifts are tax deductible.

• Unrestricted Gift - Your gift will help the library improve and expand its collections and support new and continuing program for literacy and life-long learning.
• Restricted Gift - You choose a specific purpose and location for your gift. For example, you may designate the purchase of large-print books for your local branch library or choose children’s titles for Main Library.
• Memorial/Honorary Gift - You may choose to remember a special person or celebrate a special occasion with your gift. A bookplate may be added to each new book to recognize the person or event. A letter acknowledging your gift will be sent to the honoree or to the family of the person memorialized.
• Bequest - You may designate the library in your will as a beneficiary for the transfer of assets such as cash, securities, real property, art or other valuable personal property.
• A Major Financial Gift - You choose a project from the Library Director's "Wish List" for a gift in excess of $5000.00. Please contact Dean Smith, Library Director, for details.

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