Gift and Donations Policy
The Johnstown Public Library welcomes gifts of clean and mold-free books and other materials. A maximum of three boxes or one large tote per donor can be accepted at a time. Encyclopedias, textbooks, and Reader’s Digests are not accepted. Once donated, items become the property of the Johnstown Public Library. Donated items will not be returned to the donor. The Library cannot accept any item that is not an outright gift.
The Library will not set fair market or appraisal values for donated items. Donations will be acknowledged with a standardized form for tax purposes, if requested.
The Library may choose to add donated books to the Library’s collection, offer the books to the public for free, or dispose of the books, as the Library best sees fit. These decisions are made at the Library’s discretion. If donors do not want their books disposed of, they must inform the library prior to the donation. The Library reserves the right to decide when a gift added to the collection must be withdrawn.
Gifts of personal property, including art, antiques, and memorial plaques are not encouraged. Gifts of these objects will be accepted only on a case-by case basis upon the recommendation of the President of the Board and the Library Director followed by the approval of the Library Board of Trustees. No gifts that require extensive special care, servicing, or conservation will be considered, nor will gifts with no local or historical interest.
Any gift which will cause the Library to incur annual or periodic maintenance costs must be separately endowed by the donor to the satisfaction of the Library. The Library reserves the right to liquidate, relocate, remove, or dispose of any accepted gift at any time.
The Library may also accept unsolicited monetary contributions of any amount. Unrestricted monetary contributions may be used as determined by the Director, as authorized by the Board of Trustees, within the limits of the law. Restricted contributions will be accepted if they reflect the Library’s mission and goals.
