Donation Policies

Gifts/Donation Policy

The Whitewright Public Library accepts gifts of new and used books, audio recordings, videos, and other similar materials. Items will be added to the collection in accordance with the selection policy of the library. Once donated, items become the property of the Whitewright Public Library, and may be given to other libraries or non-profit agencies, sold, traded, or discarded if they are not added to the collection.

Donated items will not be returned to the donor and the library will not accept any item that is not an outright gift. The library will acknowledge receipt of donated items but is unable to set a fair market or appraisal value. It is recommended that the donor make an itemized list of items donated. If items are being donated to obtain a tax benefit, it is the donor's responsibility to establish fair market value or obtain expert assistance in establishing any value. The library also reserves the right to decide when a gift added to the collection must be withdrawn.

Monetary gifts, bequests, and memorial or honorary contributions are particularly welcome. Funds donated will be used to purchase items in accordance with the selection policy of the library. Books, videos, and other materials purchased with bequests, memorial or honorary contributions will be identified with donor plates whenever possible. Notification of memorial or honorary contributions will be sent to the family of the person being recognized. Suggestions for subject areas or other areas of interest are welcome and will be followed to the extent possible.

If a memorial item is not returned or is damaged beyond repair, the library will make an effort to replace that item up to the first two years after the item is added to the collection. A memorial donation does not guarantee that an item will be added to the collection nor does it guarantee an item will remain in the collection if lost, damaged, or no longer relevant to the collection.

Acceptance of donations of equipment, real estate, stock, artifacts, works of art, collections, etc., will be determined by the library board based on their suitability to the purposes and needs of the library, laws and regulations that govern the ownership of the gift, and the library's ability to cover insurance and maintenance costs associated with the donation.

Further Details for Memorial or in Honor of Donations

If you wish to make a memorial or  a donation in honor of a birth, birthday, anniversary, etc., you have three options:

1. Donation to the New Material Fund. Monies are used to purchase items throughout the year.
2. Donation for a specific book, type of book, or subject. You may have a particular author or title in mind, or you may wish to get a "children's book" chosen by library staff, or perhaps a new Western in memory of someone who loved reading Westerns. Please check with the library staff, who can assist you in deciding what item is right for your needs.
3. Donating a book that you have purchased. We welcome all donations, but please be aware that we are a small library with limited space, so we try to avoid duplication when possible. If you wish to purchase a book on your own, please contact the library for guidance.

In all cases, we send a card to the family notifying them of the donation. Please include the family's address if possible, as well as your name and address as you wish it to appear on the card. We also publish a list of memorials in the Whitewright Sun, if you do not wish your donation to be published, please let us know.

Our Wish List has items the library would like to add to our collection. You are not required to buy from Amazon, but you can still use the list to make a selection to purchase elsewhere.