Donating Books and Other Items

All the books and other items sold during our Fall and Spring sales have been donated by individuals and groups in our community. We also receive donations from the local libraries, colleges, and universities. We do not hold donated items over between sales, so each sale represents a completely new round of donations. We thank our community for making our sales possible.

Donation Guidelines

Our sales are only as good as the donations we get. We can only sell books that are in good condition. Books that are damp, moldy or smelly, have torn covers, missing pages, or have been nibbled on by the family pet cannot be sold. Please recycle these books yourself.

Remember when you donate something we can't sell, we have to dispose of it and that costs money. Paying garbage or recycling fees for un-sellable donations takes money away from our effort to support libraries of Tompkins County.

 

dirty1

 Books like these should not be donated because they are dirty, warped and damaged. They cannot be sold and must be thrown away.
dirty2
clean1

Books like these are clean and packed flat to prevent damage. They will sell at the Book Sale.

clean2
 
 
plastic
  
You may bring books to the Friends donation site in plastic bags. We provide plastic bags in the mailbox container right below the book slot door.
Plastic bags will protect your books and keep them clean and dry.

 

Small numbers of books and other donations may be put through the self-service drop slot at any time, except when the Sale is actually in progress. The books should be put into plastic bags which available in the mailbox right underneath the drop slot.

Those with a large number of donations should come during the staffed donation hours (listed above) when someone is on hand to help you.

If you have an extremely large number of books to donate, i.e., 15 or more boxes of books, you must make special delivery arrangements. Please call 272-2223 and speak to the coordinator or an assistant coordinator to set a time to deliver your books. You may also email us. Please put "donation" in the subject line.

 

Acceptable Items

    We gladly accept:
  • items which are in good condition, clean, dry, mold-free
  • books with covers
  • sheet music, calendars, unused cards/postcards and blank books
  • audio books on CDs and tapes
  • LPs, 45s, commerically produced CDs and cassette tapes
  • commercially produced DVDs and VHS tapes
  • puzzles and games
  • children's encyclopedias
  • encyclopedias published before 1920 or after 1990

Unacceptable Items

    We do not accept:
  • items which are unhealthy to handle or dirty, moldy, smelly, burnt, chewed or wet
  • books missing covers
  • National Geographic magazines and many other magazines
    (We do accept certain magazines; please call to find out whether we accept what you have.)
  • encyclopedias published between 1920 and 1990
  • encyclopedia year books
  • homemade DVDs, CDs, videos, or cassette tapes
  • Reader's Digest condensed books, except large type edtions
  • law case, statute, and regulation books
  • literature CliffsNotes
  • catalogs
  • theses or dissertations
  • AAA Travel Guides except the 2 most recent years

    Tax Receipt

    Since we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, you may be able to deduct the value of your donation on your income taxes if you itemize deductions. If you want a receipt for income tax purposes, please complete a counting form pdf to bring with your donation. We will then provide you with a signed receipt that you may use when filing your income taxes. If you come outside the posted donation hours, no one will be there to accept your books or to give you a signed receipt.

    We do not assign a value to the books you donate. We provide information, by category, of the opening and closing day book prices. You must determine the value of your donation. If you are donating a book that you believe will sell in Collector’s Corner, please list the book separately in the space provided.