Donations Policy

Cranston Public Library Donations Policy

Purpose
The Purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for acceptance of donations to the Cranston Public Library (hereinafter “the Library”)¹.

General Guidelines

1. The Library has limited capacity to accept and process donations.
2. The Library will only accept donated material published in the previous ten (10) years, that are in good condition.  
3. The Library will only accept up to two (2) boxes of materials per patron per visit.  
4. All donations become the property of the Library and cannot be returned.
5. Donations are accepted at library locations during normal business hours. Donations should not be left at the library entrance or placed in the book drop.
6. The library cannot pick up donations.
7. Donations may be considered for inclusion in the library collection following the criteria of the library collection development policy; sold for the benefit of the library; or disposed of in a manner appropriate to their condition and usefulness.

Acceptable Materials
The Library accepts the following materials in good condition only: 

• Contemporary hardcover and paperback books
• Compact discs in original cases
• DVDs and blu-rays in original cases
• Unabridged books on CD in original packaging
• Jigsaw puzzles (at the Central Library only)

Unacceptable Materials
The Library will not accept the following:

• Any materials that have mold, odors, pests, or stains
• Dictionaries
• Textbooks
• Encyclopedias
• Reader’s Digest condensed books
• Magazines or newspapers of any kind
• Vinyl record albums
• Cassettes (VHS, audio) of any kind
• Computer games and software
• Computers, eReaders and other electronic items
• Games, and toys, including stuffed animals
• Office supplies
• Activity books

Acknowledgement

1. A donor acknowledgement letter will be provided upon request. Donations may be tax deductible. I.R.S. regulations prohibit the Library from giving estimates of value for donated materials. Donors should follow I.R.S. guidelines² in completing the description of goods donated and the value of the goods donated. 

Tangible Gifts

1. The Library may accept donations of tangible gifts such as artwork, rare books, maps, furniture, etc. under the conditions outlined in the Tangible Gifts Policy.

See also related policies: Collection Development, Tangible Gifts.

Revision History
Adopted by the Cranston Public Library Board of Trustees on September 13, 2017
Revised 11/13/2019
Revised 12/8/2021
Revised 2/11/2026

¹ Refers to the Cranston Public Library, its governing board of trustees and its appointed director.
² I.R.S. Publication 561 (12/2024), Determining the Value of Donated Property, https://www.irs.gov/publications/p561.