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.

The Charlevoix Public Library encourages the interest and involvement of citizens and organizations in its service program through contributions of book or non-book materials for collections, appropriate gifts which will enhance the physical environment, and bequests, trusts, or donations of monetary or other assets for library purposes.

RULES:

1. 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.

2. Gift bookplates or nameplates will be affixed to those materials chosen or accepted by the librarian in order to satisfy a donor's request.

3. 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.

4. Donations of books or artifacts will be accepted provided that, in the opinion of the professional staff, they enhance the value of the library's collection. Materials which do not meet the library's selection criteria will be disposed of at the discretion of the library. Books not added to the library's collection may be sold at the Friends of the Library's ongoing book sale. All donations (money and 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.

5. No gift shall be accepted by the library unless it is freely given to the extent 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.

6. All gifts shall be acknowledged by a personal note from the librarian to the donor.

7. The library will not appraise items for tax purposes. The library will provide (on request) a receipt to the donor for the gift.

8. Documentation of donations that exceed $50.00 is retained by the library for seven years.

9. Disposal of items by the librarian whose value exceeds $500.00 will be listed and sent to the Board of Trustees via the Weekender, to be discussed at the next board meeting.

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

• Hard bound current novels for recreational reading.
• Information books.
• Broadway plays and musical materials.
• 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.