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Guidelines for Selecting Donations to Add to Your Library Collection

Fiction (Adult and Teens):
5 years old or less—except when:

  • It is part of a popular series
  • It is by a well circulating author such as Nora Roberts or Stuart Woods
  • A customer has specifically requested the item and staff feels it would benefit more than one patron
  • It is a classic work of fiction such as Lord of the Flies, that is popular enough to circulate
  • The item is part of a summer reading program by a local school
  • It is a work done by a local author
  • It can replace an already circulating, but worn copy of an item

If you are not sure if it meets those criteria, it is sometimes a good idea to check the circulation statistics of other books in the collection by the same author. Basically, if you have 5 books by an author that aren't circulating well, it probably isn't a good idea to add a 6th.

Nonfiction:
5 years old or less—except when:

  • It is in a field that doesn't change much such as History, Biographies, Crafts, Gardening, Cookbooks, etc. (remember that history and biographies change over time and accumulated knowledge – so keep them current too)
  • It is a local history or a work done by a local author
  • It is a classic work of Nonfiction such as works by Aristotle or a famous poet's collected works, that is popular enough to circulate
  • It is part of a local genealogy collection
  • A customer has specifically requested the item and staff feels it would benefit the library
  • It can replace an already circulating, but worn copy of an item

It is highly discouraged to add books more than 5 years old that pertain to Computers or Technology, Medical texts, Fitness, Finance, Legal resources, Career and Employment books, Exam books, Science books, and Travel guides. Also, before adding any nonfiction, consider whether there may be more current information online or in your databases; for example, don't add a donated legal forms book, if you subscribe to a legal forms database.

We do no service to our patrons when we keep books that provide outdated or incorrect information.

Children's books:

  • The books should be clean and neat with no writing, odors, or other visible damage to the book
  • The information should be current and accurate
  • Only add items that are poorly bound or paperback if they are part of a highly popular series or subject such Pokemon, Star Wars, etc
  • Consider limiting or not adding books with small parts or movable pieces, such as pop-up books. These tend to get torn apart quicker than regular books
  • Keep abreast of popular interests, such as dinosaurs, trucks, fairies, etc

Other Formats

DVD

  • Dramatic (fiction) and children's DVDs can be added regardless of the year they were released – almost all of them will circulate regardless of their age.
  • Nonfiction DVDs … follow guidelines for nonfiction Books

Audiobook CD

  • Follow guidelines for appropriate book.