Gift Policy

(Adopted by Library Board March 14, 2011. Revised May 16, 2016)

The Saint Louis County Library (the "Library") welcomes and encourages gifts of money, real property, bequests, and endowments.  Gifts such as these are valued as expressions of individual support for the Library's mission and help to enhance its services, programs and facilities by supplementing tax, state, or contractual support. 

Monetary gifts or bequests of non-cash financial investments, endowment funds, trust funds, and other sustaining gifts are most appropriately made to the Library through a donation to the St. Louis County Library Foundation.  The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization whose primary function is to solicit, receive, hold and administer gifts and to undertake activities exclusively to support and benefit the Library.

The Library itself, however, may accept gifts directly that supplement materials and services that support the needs of Library residents.  Monetary gifts will be spent at the Library's discretion.  The Library may choose not to accept a gift if the donor wishes to place limitations or restrictions on its use or disposal. The Library Board retains the right to reject or return any gifts or donations. All accepted gifts become the property of the Library to be used in a manner most beneficial to Library service and any gift-sponsored activity will remain within the control of the Library. The Library takes no responsibility for valuing gifts for tax purposes or for the tax consequences to the donor.

Materials purchased with bequests and memorial or honorary contributions will be identified with special donor plates at the Library's discretion. Funds donated to enhance the collection will be used to purchase items in accordance with the Library's Collection Development Policy.

Books, magazines and Audio-visual material donated to any branch in the Library system become the property of the system as a whole. Typically, these items are not added to the collection and are sold or reused to benefit various Library initiatives.