Used Book Donations Guidelines

All donations are tax deductible, including yearly membership dues.

The Blue Bell chapter raises funds through used book donations which are offered for sale: daily thru the Lobby Book Sale and bi-annually [spring & fall] at the Used Book Sales. The success of these sales is due to the generosity of community members in donating materials, volunteering time and efforts at book sorting, organizing the sale venues and purchasing the used books.  All proceeds from sales go to the library.

The FRIENDS accept gently used:

  • hardback books: fiction & nonfiction 
  • paperback books: fiction & nonfiction 
  • children's books 
  • CDs 
  • DVDs 
  • puzzles 

Donations must be made during library hours and should not be left outside the building. (see library hours.) Please bring your items inside and ask for assistance at the desk. A hand truck or cart is available to help carry. A tax deduction letter may be obtained when you donate.

Due to the lack of storage space and the difficulty of resale of some materials, not all donations are acceptable.  We cannot accept:

  • damaged books, including:
    • damaged spines
    • water damage
    • torn covers or pages
    • highlighted material
    • books written in or marked (except signed or inscribed)

In addition, we cannot accept:

  • encyclopedias
  • reference books more than 3 years old
  • computer books/manuals more than 1 year old 
  • magazines, including National Geographic and American Heritage 
  • Reader's Digest Condensed Books 
  • textbooks 
  • bulk packs or other bound study materials 
  • video cassette tapes or cassette tapes 
  • vinyl records 

We urge our friends to observe these guidelines because unacceptable materials must be discarded at library expense.

Occasionally we find personal items in donated books (example: book marks, photographs, news clippings).  By the time the items are discovered, we are unable to tell who donated the book and the materials are discarded.  Photographs are usually saved for a reasonable amount of time in hopes that the owner may come to claim them.