The Old Bridge Public Library welcomes donations of books and other materials. Donated books are sometimes used to augment the Library’s collections. They are also used for the Friends of the Library Book Sales if they are not added to the Library’s collections.

Years of experience with donations and book sales have yielded insights as to what types of materials are useful and how Library staff can effectively manage donations. The Library is sincerely grateful for the generosity of individuals wishing to donate materials; however, experience has taught us that the following guidelines are necessary:

1. Gift materials are evaluated according to the Library’s Collection Development Policy. No guarantee is made that any gift selected for the use in the Library’s collection will be a permanent part of the Library’s collection.
2. The Library reserves the right to use donations for the Library’s collection or for the Friends of the Library Book Sales. If the material is determined to be inappropriate for either the collection or for the Book Sale, the Library reserves the right to discard it.
3. The evaluation and disposition of gift materials is the responsibility of the Library staff authorized by the Library Director.
4. Donations must be in acceptable physical condition. Items smelling of mildew will be refused. Such items should be discarded at home. Items which have yellowed or stained pages; are written in or have underlining; have broken spines; or are damp and musty cannot be accepted.
5. Donations of Local History materials are encouraged.
6. Textbooks are not accepted.
7. Encyclopedias published before 1985 are not accepted.

Receipts given to donors by the Library are limited to a general acknowledgment that a gift was received. Assignment of value for income tax or other purposes is the responsibility of the donor. The Library does not appraise materials nor endorse appraisals provided by donors.

The donor is responsible for delivering all donations to the donations area of the Library. Library staff cannot provide assistance in bringing donations into the Library.

OBPL Collection Development Policy
Excerpt: (p. 5)

“ XI. Gifts and Donations
Gifts of library material are accepted by the Library with the understanding that they will be considered for addition to the collection in accordance with the Collection Development Policy. If materials are not placed in the Library’s collection, they may be given to the Friends of the Library to sell in its ongoing or annual book sale. Materials that are in poor condition may be disposed of in other ways. Items will not be held for specific individuals.
If the title is already in the collection, it will be added only if it is in good condition, if a duplicate is needed, if copies need replacement and if the title has not been superseded.

If the title is not in the collection, it will be evaluated according to the following factors: physical condition, currency and reliability of information, historical value and local interest. In general, collections of materials which necessitate special housing or which prevent integration of the items into the general collections cannot be accepted.

Special gifts may be recognized with a bookplate at the discretion of the Library.
The Old Bridge Public Library will not assign a value to any gift material. The Library will, however, provide a receipt for the number of books, videos, boxes of materials, etc.

Gifts of funds are always welcomed and appreciated. Recommendations from the donor are honored so far as the suggestions are in accordance with the Collection Development Policy.

Because the goal of the Library is to acquire current materials on a variety of subjects, the Library does not serve as a repository for out-of-print books. Items that are selected for inclusion in the collection are judged on factors such as merit and value. In deciding whether to add an item to the collection, the Selector will determine what other materials on the subject the Library owns, how this new title compares and the importance of the title to the development of the collection. If the Selector decides that the title is needed, it will be added to the collection and treated as any other item. If it is lost or damaged, the Selector will decide whether it should be replaced. If the book is not added to the collection, it may be given to the Friends of the Library to place in its book sale. The Library will not establish a “Rare Book Room.”

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