Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) welcomes gifts that serve to enhance and expand library programming and services that cannot be fully funded within the operating budget. LARL accepts monetary gifts, books and other library materials, equipment and furniture or other gifts that can be used for the benefit of library services, under the following guidelines. The Lake Agassiz Regional Library is a governmental agency, so all gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent of income tax laws. This policy applies to the Regional Library as a whole and all the individual branches and LINK Sites which make up the Regional Library system.
Monetary Gifts: These may be designated for a specific purpose or offered without restriction to be used as deemed most suitable by the Library. Purposes may include, but are not limited to, materials, furniture and equipment, and programming.
Gifts of Materials: Books and other library materials will be evaluated according to criteria in the Collection Development policy. Not all gifts of materials will be included in the collection, and may be subject to discard or sold on library book sales.
Gifts of Collectibles: Gifts of collectibles, art objects, portraits, antiques and museum objects are not normally accepted. Management and preservation of such items is beyond the scope of library services.
Gifts of Furniture or Equipment: Gifts of furniture or equipment will be evaluated by appropriate Library staff members who will make recommendations to the Regional Library Director for approval. All such gifts must meet Library standards and serve the Library’s strategic directions. Provision can be made for the Library to make the actual purchase and the donor billed for actual expense.
Gifts of Real Estate, Stocks and Bonds, or other Investment Vehicles: In the event that a donor wishes to make a gift of real estate, stocks, bonds or other investment vehicles to the Library, approval to accept must come from the Regional Library Director after consultation with the Regional Board of Trustees.
General Guidelines:
- Gifts in honor of or in memory of an individual of money, books or other items may be donated and marked with a special bookplate or other identification. The Library will be pleased to make selections of materials based on the interests of the honored person.
- A receipt for the donated items will be offered, but the value of items given to the Library is to be determined by the giver.
- The Library applies the same criteria for evaluating gifts as it applies to items the Library purchases. This includes collection materials, furniture, equipment or other items such as toys or items used for programming.
- Except for cash donations, no gifts are accepted unless given to the Library without restriction. All gifts may be utilized, sold or disposed of in the best interest of the Library.
- All gifts become the property of Lake Agassiz Regional Library and may move beyond the location to which the gifted item was originally donated.
Adopted by the Lake Agassiz Regional Library Board of Trustees, November 17, 2011