Policy on Gifts and Bequests

The Spies Public Library wishes to encourage widespread support of the public library ideal and its expression in solid community service to Menominee. It is understood that special gifts and bequests should not take the place of local government support or cost efficient use of current income, but should be made to enable the library to provide and enhance services in ways not financially possible within the current annual operating budget.

Acceptance of Gifts

1. The library accepts donations of books, music, and movies, with the understanding that the library may do with them as it sees fit and that these items may be sold in the library book sale if not utilized in the collection. The library does not accept encyclopedias, medical books, textbooks, magazines, or videocassettes or videotapes.

Gifts of materials may be added to the collection subject to the same principles and standards of selection as are applied to all materials added to the library’s collection.

Books may be donated to the library as memorials. Recommendations for titles or subject matter are welcome. A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to the donor and to the family of the person for whom the memorial was given. The book will be marked with a memorial plate.

2. The library encourages and welcomes cash gifts, endowment funds, and bequests for purchasing books, other library materials, and equipment for improving the library facilities, or for the benefit of the library staff.

The library will, to the best of its ability, try to comply with the wishes of the donor of a gift, bequest, memorial, etc. However, the library director, and thereby library board, reserves the right to decide if its purpose is practicable and in the best interest of the library. The library has the right to refuse gifts and retains unconditional ownership of accepted gifts.

The library also encourages undesignated gifts, bequests, memorials, etc. Upon approval of the library director and support of the board, funds received as undesignated gifts, bequests, memorials, etc. will be used at the discretion of the library.

3. Acceptance of gifts of artwork, furnishings, equipment, signage, and other exterior or interior ornamentation will be decided upon by the library director and thereby library board. Among the criteria on which the decision will be based are need, space, impact on staff time, expense, and frequency of maintenance. All donations of this nature become the sole property of the library. No gifts of this nature are accepted unless freely given to the library without restriction to be used as the library sees fit.

The library reserves the right to decide the conditions of display, housing, and access to donated materials.

4. Library staff will not declare a dollar amount for the value of any donated material.

Disposition of Gifts

1. A library that is used extensively by its public sustains losses through theft, mutilation, and ordinary wear. The library cannot guarantee that any gift will be part of the collection permanently, nor can the library automatically replace worn-out, damaged, or lost items. The library is not obligated to keep donated materials for any length of time, and the library director and library board reserves the right to make the final decision on the disposition of any gift. When items are withdrawn from the collection, the library will not notify the donor of the withdrawal.

2. The library holds unconditional ownership of an accepted gift. Once conveyed to the library, no gift will be returned to the donor or to the donor’s family.