Acceptance of Donations
The Pitkin County Library (Library) welcomes donations from individuals, families, businesses, corporations, and other community organizations. The Library is grateful for donations, which shall be accepted with the understanding that donations are final and without restrictions on the Library’s ownership, possession, use, or disposition. A donor of a cash gift may select the materials to be purchased with the approval of the Library Director.
Special Donations and Works of Art
All special donations, such as fixtures, furnishings, money, real property, securities, paintings, sculptures, and artworks, will be gratefully accepted, provided they are consistent with the Library's needs and goals and donated under conditions acceptable to the Board of Trustees. Donation does not ensure display or retention by the Library. The Library cannot appraise the value of a donation of art and may request that a current appraisal of value accompany the artwork. The donor may be asked to prove ownership and authenticity of the artwork. A Deed of Donation transferring sole and exclusive ownership will be required.
Heritage Pieces
Heritage pieces include any historical item relating to Aspen, Pitkin County, or surrounding areas. The Library Board of Trustees will accept heritage pieces at its discretion or recommend them for use by local historical societies.
Equipment, Technology, and other Lab Items
Donations of computers, printers, microscopes, sewing machines, instruments, etc., are generally not accepted because it is in the Library's best interest to standardize its equipment for maintenance and quality of care.
Acknowledgments
The Library maintains a record of donations, and the Library will provide a timely, written acknowledgment of the receipt of donations to the donor. Income tax regulations leave the determination of the donation’s monetary value to the donor. All prospective donors are encouraged to consult with their legal, tax, and/or financial advisers before donating to the Library. The Pitkin County Library is recognized as a tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 170(c)1, and donations are considered tax deductible. Please contact the Library Director for EIN information.
Book Sale Donations
Pitkin County Library is grateful to receive many thousands of book and media donations each year. In lieu of adding donations to our circulating collection, Pitkin County Library is happy to accept donations from the public to supply the library book sale and book bike or to send them to the State Library to help fund the courier system. Due to limited processing space, the Library accepts one banker's box, or roughly 10”x 12” x 15”, of books per patron per week. Library staff have the authority to accept additional donations as appropriate.
Pitkin County Library accepts the following book sale donations from the public:
- Hard Back and Paperback books in clean, complete, and like new condition
- Coffee Table books in clean, complete, and like new condition
- Commercially published DVD and BluRay movies complete with case and inserts in like new condition
- Commercially published CDs complete with case and inserts in like new condition • Video Games complete with case and inserts in like new condition
- Books on CD complete with all disks, case, and inserts in like new condition
Pitkin County Library does not accept the following items for donation:
- Damaged books with broken bindings, missing, soiled, musty, or moldy pages, or with excessive writing in the text
- Clearly outdated materials
- Textbooks, dictionaries, or encyclopedias
- Toys, games, puzzles
- Yard sale items
- Non-commercially produced media like home movies or self-published music
- Magazines and Newspapers
- VHS Video Tapes
- Cassette Tapes
- Office Supplies
Disposal of Unwanted Donations
The Library reserves the right to dispose of any donated material decided to be out of the scope of the Library collection in any manner it deems appropriate.
Major Donations and Donation Naming Opportunities
These policies and procedures set the guidelines for donation naming opportunities and the recognition of major donations and define the procedures for donation acceptance.
Naming of Physical Spaces
Generally, when the naming opportunity concerns a new library building or renovation of the existing building, a donor will be required to provide a donation supporting a substantial portion of the funds needed to complete the project. Appropriate naming opportunities and donation thresholds will be established and documented in a funding plan for each project. Naming a physical space requires a completed Donation Agreement and full receipt of cash or assets that can be converted to cash immediately. Generally, physical spaces will not be named in honor of a donor in return for an estate commitment. The Pitkin County Library Board of Trustees will have final approval on naming any physical spaces.
Naming Consideration for a Pledge
Naming will take place once the pledge is fulfilled. In the event a pledge by a donor is not fulfilled, the naming opportunity at the Library is forfeited. Permanence of Naming The naming of physical space is intended to be in place for the life of the specific physical space. If, in the determination of the Board of Trustees, circumstances change so that the purpose for which the physical space was established is significantly altered or if the physical space is no longer needed or habitable, the Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Library Director, will determine an appropriate way to recognize the donor’s naming gift in perpetuity.
Gift Fund Procedures
Cash contributions to the Pitkin County Library are deposited at the Treasurer’s Office in the Gift Fund. To spend these funds, normal purchase or check requisition procedures are followed through the County Finance Department. When necessary, supplemental budget appropriations will be requested from the Finance Department to cover expenditures from the Donation Fund.
This policy was last reviewed on January 8, 2025, by the Pitkin County Library Board of Trustees.