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Policy for GIFTS

A. Book Sale Donations.

The Friends of the Milton Public Library run a book sale, usually twice a year. Because of space limitations, they accept donations only shortly before each sale.

These donations may be added to the library collection under certain circumstances. The Cataloger or Reference Librarian will make this determination. In order to be added to the library collection, books must be recent enough to be kept under the guidelines on the CREW chart published by the Eastern Region, and they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  1. They cover a subject area that is needed to fill a collection gap.
  2. They add information needed for school assignments.
  3. They replace worn copies of classics of provide additional copies of classics in demand.
  4. They are indexed in The Public Library Catalog or The Fiction Catalog and the library doesn’t own a copy.
  5. They are recent bestsellers still in demand.
  6. They are audiovisual materials in good condition.

B. Donations from publishers, special interest groups, and individuals

  1. Environmental impact reports and plans of upcoming projects will not be cataloged, but will be kept in the Reference Room or the pamphlet file.
  2. Book donations will be kept if they meet the criteria used in book sale donations.
  3. In keeping with the Library Bill of Rights, the library will consider adding gift books “representing all points of view on controversial topics” and will not refuse to add materials solely ‘because of the race or nationality or the social, political, or religious view of the authors.”
  4. Donations not added to the library collection will be given to the Friends for the book sale.

C. Cash donations

  1. The funds are maintained by the Library Trustees.
  2. The Cataloger will maintain a file listing the name of each donor, the amount of the gift, and the items bought with the funds.
  3. Bookplates will be placed in the items naming the donor and the person honored or memorialized by the gift.
  4. Requests that the library use the gift funds to buy materials on a specific topic will be honored only if the materials meet the needs of the library, and only if the materials are available for acquisition through the usual library vendors.

Milton Public Library 476 Canton Avenue Milton Massachusetts 02186
617-698-5757 E-mail:miref@ocln.org