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Book and Media Donations Policy
The library accepts new or gently used:
- Hardcover and quality (trade) paperback books.
- Media materials (VHS, DVD, CD, audiobooks) in good condition.
The library cannot use the following materials:
- Magazines
- Encyclopedias
- Reader's Digest condensed books
- Mass market (pocket) paperbacks
- Vinyl records
- Damaged or moldy materials
- Used textbooks or materials with highlighting or handwriting (except author signed books).
Bringing Donations to the library
Please bring your donations in small boxes or bags that can be easily carried. Bring items to the front information desk inside the Arapahoe entrance of the Main Library.
Please do not place donated materials in the book returns or leave them at the Meadows or Reynolds branch libraries because of storage space limitations.
Donations are Tax Deductible
At your request, Library staff will provide you with a letter of receipt that you may fill out for tax purposes. The Library staff is not qualified to determine the value of your donation. It will be up to you to assign a value for tax purposes.
Large Donations (more than 10 boxes)
If you have a large amount of materials that you wish to donate, please contact the Reference department by phone at 303-441-3194 or e-mail Ask a Librarian with the quantity and a description of the materials. Donated items are evaluated with care and we have only limited storage space to store materials while they wait to be processed.
A staff person will contact you promptly to let you know if the library is able to accept a large number of materials at the time you wish to bring in the materials.
What does the Boulder Public Library do with donations?
All donations are greatly appreciated. The library reviews donated items, then adds them to the collection or sells them at library book sales, sells them on the Internet or donates them to other nonprofit agencies. The money raised by sales goes to fund programming and to purchase other library materials.
What can I do with materials the library cannot accept?
Most thrift stores accept books and other materials as donations or you may decide to recycle the books and magazines at the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM):
Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder
Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials
5030 "Old" Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80301
303-444-6634
www.ecocycle.org
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 9:00am to 4:00pm
Books are accepted by Eco-Cycle for recycling, including computer manuals and similar softbound books. Eco-Cycle removes the binders and covers, then recycles the pages. Call for directions - this is not the old Pearl Pkwy recycling center.