Book/Media Donation Guidelines

Book/Media Donation Acceptance Policy

Jacksonville Public Library welcomes your donated books, audiobooks, movies and magazines. Depending on the quality and condition of donated items, they may be added to the Library’s collection or given to the Friends of the Library for their book sale. Some donations may be given away as deemed appropriate by the Library Director.

Book donations will only be accepted at the library between 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Donated items must be brought in boxes that the library can keep. We cannot accept donations that are unboxed, in trash bags, or in containers that the library must empty and return.

DONATED ITEMS PLACED IN THE BOOK DROP OR LEFT ON THE SIDEWALK WILL BE DISCARDED OR RECYCLED.

Receipts can be provided designating how many items were donated (paperback, hardback, commercially published media), but the library does not determine the value of any items.

Book Donation Guidelines

We will accept:

• Hardcover and paperback books in good condition. We cannot use damaged books (e.g., broken bindings, missing pages or covers, soiled, musty or moldy, excessive writing in the text) or clearly outdated materials.
• Reader’s Digest condensed books
• Commercially published media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray)
• Popular magazines in good condition (to be used to fill gaps in the Library’s collection or sold in the Friends’ Book Sale)

We cannot accept:

• Damaged books with broken bindings, missing pages or covers, soiled, musty or moldy, with smoke or water damage, or with excessive writing or highlighting in the text
• Clearly outdated materials (see below for guidelines)
• Toys, games, puzzles, artwork
• Magazines (bound or unbound) with pages or pictures missing
• News magazines
• Academic/Professional journals (i.e., nursing, legal, financial, etc.)
• Encyclopedias (incomplete sets or sets older than twenty years)
• Videocassettes or audiocassettes
• Non-commercially produced media (CD-R, DVD-R, self-recorded)
• Workbooks or study guides with missing pages or that are partially or wholly filled in
• Computer programs

We accept certain materials within specified limits:

• Price guides and almanacs (current only)
• Encyclopedias (complete sets only, less than 25 years old)
• Medical and financial advice books (less than 5 years old)
• Travel guidebooks (less than 5 years old)
• Computer manuals (less than 5 years old)
• Textbooks (less than 10 years old)
• Test preparation guides (less than 5 years old)

(Approved by the Library Board of Directors, 10/7/2014)