Library Donation FAQs

What items are accepted as donations?

Books, audio and visual items. FPL does not accept magazines, periodicals, journals or computer software.

Where should patrons drop off their donations?

Patrons can drop off donations at the Patron Services desk. For larger donations, staff can direct them to the library's receiving room and advise them to ring the doorbell. A patron may request a receipt for their donation. Donation receipts are located at the Patron Services Desk and in the staff area. Library staff cannot provide a monetary value for their donations.

What happens to donated items after the library receives them?

Most donated books, audio and visual items are routed to the processing department to be boxed and delivered to storage. They will be sold at the library book sale. All proceeds go to the Farmington Library Foundation.

If a patron wants to donate a specific item(s) to be cataloged and placed in the library's collection, how should library staff handle this?

Donated books, audio and visual items are accepted by the library with the explicit understanding that they are not necessarily to be added to the collection, in accordance with the library's Materials Selection Policy. The library may dispose of such items by discarding, selling or transfer. When donated materials are being considered, such costs as processing costs, shelf space, etc., must be analyzed, as well as the general criteria for selection listed above. Staff will note contact information and route the item(s) to the appropriate selector for that area of the collection. The selector will decide if the item(s) should be placed in the collection or not, and respond if necessary.

How are non-library books, audio & visual items placed in the book drops handled?

Items received through the book drops are routed to the processing department. If the item is owned by another library, clearing room staff routes the item to Adult Services and it is mailed to the owning library. If a non-library item was accidentally placed in the book drop, it will be treated as a donation and may be discarded, transferred, or sent to storage for the next book sale. Library staff is unable to search for a specific item due to the large amounts of items in storage.

How are non-library books, audio & visual items found in the library handled?

These types of items should be given to library security. Security will handle them as lost and found items. Items not claimed within one week are assumed to be donated and are handled accordingly.

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