The Ridgefield Public Library will only accept unconditional gifts. Any gift to which the donor has attached conditions, terms, limits, purposes, or restrictions will be considered by the Board of Trustees of the Ridgefield Public Library. The Library Director and/or the Board of Trustees have the authority to accept or reject any gift.
Donations of books, DVDs, CDs and the like in good condition will be accepted providing the donor understands that the Library will make use of the donation however it sees fit. These donations may be included in the Library’s collection, discarded, sold, or donated to another organization. If the donor requests a receipt, the Library will issue one with only the number of items; no dollar amount will be given on the receipt. The Library does not accept encyclopedias, textbooks, or sets of National Geographic magazines. From time to time, the Director and the Library Board will decide to suspend temporarily all donations of books, DVDs, and CDs if the volume becomes unmanageable.
Gifts of money, stocks, or securities will be placed in the Library’s donation account to be used for purchases beyond what the general operating account covers. In the case of monies donated with the request to name a room or area of the Library or to place a commemorative plaque in the Library, the Board of Trustees will make the decision on an individual basis, without setting a precedent. The Board of Trustees will not be involved in the donation of money for the purchase of materials in honor of or in memory of an individual or organization. The donor may select the subject of interest for the purchase of materials, but not specific titles. Professional librarians will make that choice.
Regarding the donation of objects, artwork, landscaping plants, artifacts and the like, the Board of Trustees must approve all donations. If accepted, the donor will receive a receipt for the items donated with no dollar given on the receipt. The donor will be informed that the Board is free to do what they wish with these items.
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to refuse any gift or donation (monetary or non-monetary) under certain circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to: unreasonable restrictions on use or access; insufficient resources to properly manage the gift (space and maintenance requirements, etc.); or instances where the gift would appear to present a conflict of interest, violate the law, or create the image of an inappropriate relationship between the Library and the donor.
Adopted 05-22-18