A gift to the Charlevoix Public Library's collection is a unique and enduring way to pay tribute to friends and family while giving a resource to the community for many to use and enjoy. You can be assured your gift will have meaning and purpose for many years to come.

Books and other library materials provide a remembrance for any type of occasion. A favorite book can serve as a memorial to someone dear now gone, a recording of a lullaby can be given on a child's birthday, a book of poems can mark an anniversary, or a video on a newly found hobby can express hopes for a leisurely retirement.

A gift to the library can reflect the tastes or interests of the individual in whose honor the gift was given. A love of gardening might inspire a book on roses, or a historian can be remembered by a work on his or her favorite time. Organizations can also show their appreciation for members of special merit, or merely use the donations as a way to help the library increase its collections in their special area.

When you donate to the program, you may designate a particular title, subject area or type of material you would like purchased, or you may ask the library staff to use your contribution to purchase items where needed. A letter will be sent to the honoree or to his or her family to let them know about your thoughtful gift. A letter of acknowledgement goes to the donor as well. A book plate will be inscribed as you wish and placed on the item, letting the community share in the recognition of your loved one.

The next time you need to find that special gift or remembrance, please think of the Charlevoix Public Library. You will have the pleasure of knowing that your generosity will be a lasting source of joy and enrichment for all library patrons.

Questions? Please call the City Librarian's office at 231-547-2651.

Approved: December 11, 2008

Mission Statement

The Charlevoix Public Library supports the entire community by providing resources, which will aid the pursuit of information and provide recreation & cultural enrichment through print, media and electronic resources and planned programs.

The Charlevoix Public Library adheres to the State of Michigan, Gifts and Donations – Act 136 of 1921. The Charlevoix Public Library encourages the interest and involvement of citizens and organizations through contributions of book or non-book materials, real or personal property, gifts that will enhance the physical environment of the library, and bequests, trusts, or other donations of monetary value.

Books or other library materials

• Books or other library materials purchased by the donor for presentation to the library will be gratefully accepted, provided they meet the library’s selection policies and procedures.
• Materials that do not meet the library’s selection criteria will be disposed of at the discretion of the library. Items not added to the library’s collection may be sold at the Friends of the Library sale.
• Accepted gift items will be integrated into the regular library collection in normal sequence, available to all library patrons, and otherwise handled as any other material belonging to the library.
• Upon a donor’s request, a gift bookplate will be affixed to those materials accepted by the librarian.

 Event or program

• Donations of monies may be accepted by the library for use of a program or event.
• Once funds are received, the programming staff will work with the donor to come up with a suitable timeframe and subject matter of the program/event. The planning and implementing of the event is at the sole discretion of the staff.
• Donations of $5,000 or more for an event will be offered a naming opportunity. Once funds are received, the donor and director will agree upon verbiage for the naming, which would then be approved by the Board of Directors.

 Art donations

• Authorization to accept art gifts lies with the Board of Trustees. The Art Committee, as defined by the Board, may make recommendations on the acceptance or refusal of such gifts.
• Circumstances under which a gift may be refused include but are not limited to: 1. the cost to manage the asset will exceed the benefit of the gift, 2. the gift is not the appropriate size, or 3. the gift or gift purpose does not meet the mission of the library.
• Art gifts are subject to appraisal by an appraiser approved by both the library director and donor and paid for by the donor.

 General

• Naming opportunities within the library are available for monetary donations at or above $15,000.  The donor and director will agree upon verbiage for the naming, which would then be approved by the Board of Directors.  All nameplates are to be purchased through the library.
• Endowed gifts must meet the mission of the library and be accepted by the Library Board of Trustees. Money that is to be endowed will be deposited at the Charlevoix County Community Foundation.
• The Library director will assist patrons in devising a planned giving statement to direct funds so the planned gift meets the mission of the library.   The library will accept no gift unless it is freely given so that the library may use the gift as it sees fit. The library board reserves the right to make the final decision on the disposition of any gift.
• All donations (money or materials) become the sole property of the library. The library may or may not put materials into the collection based on their physical condition and usefulness to library patrons. The library is not obligated to keep donated materials for any length of time.
• The library will not appraise items for tax purposes. The library will provide, on request, a receipt to the donor for the gift.
• The library retains documentation of donations that exceed $200 for seven years.  Documentation of art donations over $500 will be kept permanently. The Library Board of Trustees will be notified of the disposal of items where value exceeds $500. It will be discussed at the following board meeting.
• A personal note from the librarian to the donor shall acknowledge all gifts.

The library is most interested in the following types of materials:

• Hard bound current novels for recreational reading
• Information books
• Broadway plays and musical material
• General college textbooks recently published
• Children's books
• Fine bindings
• Anything published prior to 1900
• Manuscripts and other hand written materials
• Paperback books
• Biographies and autobiographies
• Books of local interest
• Media material: books on tape, videos, DVDs, audio tapes, CD-ROM, etc.

Books and periodicals that we cannot use or even dispose of:

• Outdated informational books (e.g. technological, tax, investment, medical, educational, legal, etc.)
• Books that have been kept in storage and have mildewed
• Reader's Digest condensed books
• 78 or LP records
• Outdated textbooks

Public Library: Gifts and Donations - Act 136 of 1921

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

397.381 Donations; acceptance, use.

Sec.1. Any board of education, library commission or other public corporation empowered to maintain a public library may receive and accept gifts and donations of property, real or personal, for the purpose of such library and shall hold, use and apply the property so received for the purposed set forth in the instrument of gift and in accordance with the provisions of such instrument and subject to the conditions and limitations, if any, therein expressed.

397.382 Donations; disposition.

Sec.2. Whenever any property, real or personal, now or hereafter held and used for the purpose of the public library by any board of education, library commission or other public corporation shall, in the judgement of such corporation, be no longer needed for such purpose, such property may be sold and disposed of by such corporation unless such sale and disposal be inconsistent with the terms and conditions upon which such property was acquired, at such price and upon such terms and conditions as said corporation may deem proper, and the proceeds thereof shall by said corporation be used and applied for the purpose of such library.