Friends of the Library Policy for Donation of Books and Other Materials
The Friends of the Library are pleased to accept donations of books and other materials. These benefit the library and are greatly appreciated.
Items that we accept are new or gently used:
- Hardbound and paperback books
- CDs, DVDs and audiobooks on CD
- Cooking, Crafting, Gardening, and Blue Ridge Magazines published in the last three years
We cannot accept:
- Damaged books or materials
- Encyclopedias
- Computer software
- National Geographic magazines
- Weekly magazines such as People, Newsweek, etc.
- VHS tapes and audiocassettes
We cannot take damaged books with broken bindings, missing pages, soiling, mustiness, mildew, water damage or have excessive notes or highlighting in the text, etc. The Friends of the Library reserve the right to refuse donations. All donations become the property of FOL.
Most items that are given to the Friends of the Library are sold at used book sales or on the birdhouses. Some items are sold online, and some are put into the library’s collection. Items not able to be sold are donated to other nonprofit agencies or made available to the public on our Free Book Cart. The Friends use the proceeds of sales to sponsor library projects and activities not covered by the library’s operating budget as well as to sponsor Friends’ programs.
Donations are processed in Abingdon; however, donations of three boxes or fewer may be brought to our libraries in Damascus, Glade Spring, Hayters Gap, and Mendota, and donations of 5 boxes or fewer to the library in Abingdon. Please do not leave donations in the book drops, outside the libraries or on the Free Book Cart. If you have more than five boxes of materials that you wish to donate, call Dianne Lester at 276-676-6383.
We respectfully ask that the public refrain from making donations during book sales as the Friends of the Library are busy with the sale and have very limited space for new donations.
The Friends of the Washington County Public Library is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the extent allowed by law. A receipt is available upon request. Library staff or Friends of the Library cannot affirm the value of your donation.
Approved by the FOL Book Sale Leadership Team on June 16, 2016. Updated March 6, 2019.