Donation Policy

The Maggie Osgood Library welcomes and encourages gifts and donations that are consistent with the library’s mission statement.

The Library Director will maintain a list of desired materials for those who wish to purchase material as a memorial, or in celebration of a milestone.

Donations for the library collection

The Maggie Osgood Library accepts donations of print (books) and non-print (DVDs, Audiobook CDs, etc.) Items must be in good condition and meet current collection development criteria. Items in poor physical condition, outdated material formats, condensed/abridged titles, textbooks, and encyclopedias will not generally be accepted for donation. The library’s acceptance of a donated item does not constitute an agreement to add it to the collection; the library will make all necessary decisions as to the retention, location, cataloging and other considerations related to the use, disposition and disposal of all donations. Unused donations cannot be returned to the donor. All donations are accepted with the understanding that if the library is unable to use the materials, they will be discarded as described in the Collection Development Policy. The library does not assess the value of gifts made to the library. Valuation should be determined by the donor.

If the requested item is retained for the collection the donor my request a book plate commemorating the donation.

Monetary Donations

Monetary donations may be made to the Maggie Osgood Library or the City of Lowell and are tax-deductible.

Other Gifts

Gifts and donations other than items which can be used in the library’s collection (such as furniture, etc.) must be discussed with the library director who will make the final determination to accept or decline the gift. If desired, a commemorative marker will be included with the item. These gifts will be considered considering the following criteria:

• Relevance to the library’s mission statement
• Space and security required to house or store the gift(s)
• Cost to maintain or preserve the gift(s.)