Book Donations and Other Materials

“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.”
—Henry David Thoreau

Bring ‘em on! We want your books!
P.S.  Share this information with your friends and family.

Where, When and How to Donate Books.   

Your Donations Contribute to Library Collections 

Left Behind in Books 

Friends of the Pima County Public Library, welcomes the donation of new and good condition hardcover and paperback books in all subjects. Cassettes, videotapes and CDs, books on tape, and DVDs are also appreciated. Books should be clean and dry. Remember your friends at FPCPL when you are downsizing, moving or just need to clear off bookshelves.

When and Where Donations can be Dropped Off

Donations may be taken to the Book Barn (2230 N. Country Club Road) Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday mornings (8:00 – Noon) or Thursday evenings (6:00-9:00 PM).

If you need help bringing in a large donation, just give us a call at 795-3763 for further information and assistance.

Donations that Cannot be Accepted

It’s a sad fact that the Friends can’t use everything donated to us. Because they are difficult to sell, we do not accept magazines, Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, law books, theses, and books which are falling apart, without covers, water damaged or dirty.

Donations are Tax Deductible

We will gladly give you a receipt for your donations. You are responsible for estimating the value of the deduction. We do not evaluate books.

Tax deductible financial contributions are also appreciated.
 

Your Donations Contribute to Library Collections

 The annual report of transfers and gifts to the Arizona and Steinheimer collections at PCPL demonstrates another way the Friends support the Library. Not only does our contribution make collection development cost effective, but books we offer are new the library and some so rare they significantly enhance the collections.

The Arizona Collection provides a forum to engage in the discovery and understanding of the cultural heritage, natural history and unique lifestyle of Arizona. The Collection consists of secondary resource materials of general and popular interest that pertain to Tucson and Pima County and to the state of Arizona.

The Steinheimer Collection focuses on children’s literature as a valuable tool for the social historian. Children’s books often contain a clear sense of the values and ideas that a society transmits to its children. As a result, these materials reflect the facts, myths, interpretations, stereotypes, legends, attitudes, and mores of past and present generations.  The Steinheimer Collection is an effort to collect and reserve these materials for future generations.

 

Results from Fiscal year 04-05	Friends of PCPL	Total received including FPCPL
Items received	310	680 with 370 from Main and 11 branches
Items kept: AZ collection	165 with 117 new to PCPL	335 with 212 new to PCPL
Items kept for Steinheimer collection	15 with 13 new to PCPL	48 with 35 new to PCPL
Items kept for Main circulating collections	4	43
Total items kept	184	426

LEFT BEHIND IN LIBRARY BOOKS

Did you ever wonder what people leave behind in library books? Ever wonder who these people are or what the item left behind signifies?

Those who have volunteered at Friends of the PCPL book sale have seen a triptych display of items found in the books donated to the Friends: mostly bookmarks, some of which are very pretty.

Aside from the mundane library receipt, movie stub, postcard or whimsical bookmark, what if someone left behind a clue as to who they were or what they did? I recently found a Delta Airlines boarding pass dated 27 Jan for Ann Marie. I know Ann Marie sat in seat 10C on her flight from Tucson to Dallas/Ft. Worth but more importantly, did she have a good trip?

Mary Billings recounted a sum of cash found in a recently donated book. It makes you wonder about the book's owner: did they not trust the bank to safely keep their money or was it just a forgotten hoard of 'mad money'?

The Pacific Northwest College of Fine Arts library keeps a box labeled, "Things Found in Books" which includes an envelope of items found in a copy of Moby Dick: there's a bus transfer and a postcard of a whaling boat and a postcard of an archway formed by a whale's jaws and a newspaper photo of actress Brooke Shields - go figure!
The website librarybooks4u.com contains an essay on "Strange Items Found in Books" and the most curious items include hair, a 3" rubber snake, raisins and a receipt for a visit for psychoanalysis.

Several years ago, I visited a library book sale in Oregon and noticed a large burlap covered bulletin board covered with items found in donated books: photos, recipes, letters and other such ephemera. I mentioned it to my mystery writer husband and suggested it would make a good story idea.

His first novel, "The Color Blind Detective" by Bill Capron was published this summer and his short story, "Dead Friends of the Library" is incorporated into the novel. I won't ruin the surprise but it involves a library volunteer who is quite observant about what she finds in donated books and even more observant about who removes certain items from the bulletin board!

So the question is: should we make sure we empty all the paper slips and bookmarks from our donated books? Or maybe we should intentionally leave behind interesting and provocative (but not organic or hazmat) items in our donated books, to pique the interest of the next owner and create a trail of clues?