Gifts of other assets such as real estate, private securities and tangible personal property, will be considered for acceptance on a case-by-case basis. Criteria for acceptance of other types of gifts may include:
- Relevance to the library’s mission
- Space required to house or store the gift
- Time required to manage the gift
- Liquidity issues
- Cost of evaluation
- Cost of maintenance
- Legal liabilities
Acceptance of Unrestricted Gifts
The Gardiner Library Association Board will make the final determination to accept or decline any gift of any kind. If accepted and unless expressly acknowledged in writing by the Library: (1) the Library reserves the right to liquidate, relocate, remove or otherwise dispose of any gift at any time and in any manner without notice to or permission from the donor; and (2) all gifts will be considered unrestricted and unconditional.
Acceptance of Restricted Gifts
Due to the voluntary nature of The Gardiner Library Association and the limitations of library staff, we do not encourage restricted gifts. However, the GLA will consider accepting a restricted gift on a case-by-case basis, taking into account:
- The nature and duration of the proposed restriction, which must be clearly stated and agreed upon by all parties.
- The compatibility of the restriction with the overall mission of the library.
- The impact of the restriction on the ability of the library or the association to acquire gifts from other sources.
- The burdens or encumbrances of the restriction on the library’s or association’s resources, either financially or administratively.
- Any adverse publicity the restriction might create for the library or the association.
Again, the Gardiner Library Association makes the final decision on acceptance, use and disposition of the gift, and retains the right to accept or decline any restricted gift. The use and management of restricted gifts, if accepted, become the sole responsibility and property of the library or the association.
Gifts of Print and Non-Print Materials
The Gardiner Library Association does not accept donations of books, periodicals, electronic media, or similar resource material meant for patrons or for book sales. Please consult Gardiner Public Library staff if you wish to donate these types of items. Archival materials or historical collections may be of value to the library or to the GLA. If so, these will be evaluated in the same manner as other gifts.
Gift Acknowledgment
The Gardiner Library Association or the Gardiner Library Director will provide a timely, written acknowledgment of the receipt of gifts to the donor. For monetary gifts the letter will include the amount of the gift for IRS purposes. In instances where the gift is in honor or memory of a third party or individual, a letter, without monetary amounts, will also be sent to the honoree or to his or her family to let them know about the tribute. Donors wishing to have an appraisal of non-monetary gifts done for income tax purposes should do so prior to donation. The library does not appraise items for tax purposes.