Donate Your Treasures to the Library

Like many of us inspired by the recent bestselling title by Marie Kondo “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” you may be in the process of decluttering your living or work space. According to the author’s KonMari method, first gather all items together by category in one location, pick up each individually, and pose this question:  does it spark joy? If not, Kondo advises you to thank your belongings for their service and discard them. But what will you do with these treasures that no longer serve you?
 
If you have books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs to dispose of, consider donating them to Sedona Public Library. The Library has depended on the support and generosity of the community from its founding, almost 60 years ago, and we rely on your book donations to raise money and add to our collection.
 
Once we receive your donations, our volunteers work diligently to process them. Processing the magnitude of donations we receive is a labor of love for our volunteers. While very rewarding, it can be hard work, especially when items arrive damaged or dirty. We are subject to the limitations of staffing and resources that affect most nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Donations we are unable to utilize will be recycled and discarded at the expense of the Library. To help determine if your old treasures can be effectively utilized, here are some guidelines to assist you:
 
What we would like to receive:

• Gently used hardcover and paperback books, fiction and nonfiction, for children and adults
• Antique or collectible books, including first editions and autographed copies
• Commercially recorded audio cassettes, CDs, and DVDs
• Magazines: current three months of general magazines, and back issues of art or local interest magazines

 
Please do not give us:

• Magazines over three months old or catalogs
• Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, school textbooks, encyclopedias
• Travel guides and investment or technology books older than five years

 
Please give magazines that do not fit our needs to the Sedona Recycling Center.
 
Donations in good condition that are not added to our collection are sold at our semiannual Friends of the Library book sales. Proceeds from the sales help to purchase new and relevant materials for the library collection and to fund the children’s Summer Reading Program along with other community programs.
 
Mark your calendar for the dates of the Friends fall book sale:

• Preview night: Monday, October 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m. For Friends of the Library, invited guests, staff, and volunteers.

• Book sale: October 25 through 29, during regular library hours, plus Sunday, October 30, from noon to 4 p.m.

 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations and grants allow us to continue to offer free and innovative services to residents and visitors. Your tax-deductible donation is appreciated and may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for September 30, 2016
Written by Andrea Lhotka, Public Services Librarian