Should I donate my Catholic books to the library?

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Holly3278

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Hi everyone. My local library has absolutely no books on the Catholic faith. I am considering donating my Catholic books that I have already read to the library so that they have some and so that hopefully some people will read them and want to convert to the Catholic faith. All my Catholic books are good ones and have at least an imprimatur. So, should I donate the books that I have already read to the library or not? :confused: By the way, this is a public library I am speaking about. Vote in my poll! 👍
 
Holly3278 said:
Hi everyone. My local library has absolutely no books on the Catholic faith. I am considering donating my Catholic books that I have already read to the library so that they have some and so that hopefully some people will read them and want to convert to the Catholic faith. All my Catholic books are good ones and have at least an imprimatur. So, should I donate the books that I have already read to the library or not? :confused: By the way, this is a public library I am speaking about. Vote in my poll! 👍
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Holly, yes, but be sure the library will accept them and put them in their collection and not just take them for future sale to raise funds for the library. 👍
 
I’m a librarian and agree fully with the previous poster. Talk with the librarian there and make sure the books would be added to the collection. You might also mention that you don’t see books on Catholicism on the library’s shelves and suggest that the library make more of an effort to acquire books to meet your needs.
 
Think twice - check out your library of choice - and ask alot of questions. If you think there’s even the remote chance that they won’t do any good there - PM me, and maybe we can talk if you have something I could use. BTW - Are Divine Hours in your collection?

Of special note: If you know of a Church - that won’t toss them, mind you - or if these books are really golden oldies - try a more conservative/traditional parish. Ask the schoolteachers / priests. You’d be surprised the items they don’t have and would like to.
 
Personally, I wouldn’t donate any books to a public library.

They may or may not keep them. Really, unless you have a written donation agreement, preferably drafted by your attorney, the books become the library’s property and they can do whatever they like with them.

I’ve attended a lot of used book sales at public libraries, and I’ve even see books for sale that had special Library donation labels on the inside that someone paid a fee (something $11.00-$15.00) to the library to remember someone by being sold for $1.00.

Talk to your Librarian; see if they seem interested.

You might want to donate a book or two and then check back a year later to see if they still have it.

My experience, and no offense to librarians, but public librarians routinely go through their stacks and toss out books from their collections to sell at library sales to make room for the latest books; even recent, well-written titles get tossed to make way for new books.

One of the saddest moments in recent library history was that libraries all across the country tossed out their record collections in favor of CDs…

One week my local library had their excellent record collection; the next week it was gone.

I said to the Librarian “the record collection collection is gone!” She casually replied without any concern “Oh, I’m sorry about that.”

Once, I just happened to be at Cleveland main downtown Public Library the day they boxed their entire excellent record collection and shipped it off to Kent State as a gift to the university.

Just remember though, unless you have some sort of special agreement, in writing, and signed, once you donate the books, they can do whatever they want with the books.

Maybe a Catholic university, Catholc school, or Parish Library would be a better choice to find a good home for your books, but I’ve even seen some books for sale stamped by local Catholic schools for sale (I remember buying a book that was a study of the Mass and some Biblical studies books) but granted not in large quantities or that many, but even Catholic schools, apparently, get rid of their books from time to time…
 
I love buying used catholic books at the library I go to. Please donate to your local library. Thanks!
 
I would check with your parish. We started a library a few years ago and most of the books are donations from parishioner’s personal libraries. Of courese we have to reject some books and we tell that to those who call to donate books, just in case they do not see a book of theirs on the selves.
 
I am a former librarian.

There are selectors in the library that choose what goes onto the shelf. They are educated to do so. Different library systems use different methods to choose books, based on recomendations of Library associations, certain review groups, the needs and interests of the community, the mission of the library system, and the budget.

Items donated to the library by individuals must still pass through the selectors before it will/can hit the shelf. This might seem harsh, but it is for the good of all in the community. It prevents special interest groups and people with money and an agenda from controlling what is available to the public.

However, many Library systems make a concerted effort and have a percentage of the budget set aside to fill specific requests from the patrons. So, if they start getting requests for more items on a subject, they will give it greater consideration. Your library probably has a form you can fill out making such requests. Do so, because even though the librarians try to keep track of informal requests and comments, it is hard to remember all of them, and something on paper by a patron carries the most weight.

Most donated items will end up in a fund raising sale. A few, will reach the shelf, but only after careful review. It’s like this, if the Library wouldn’t offer the material anyway…at a patron’s request, they won’t offer it because a person gives it to them free…unless budget was the only thing holding them back. They do not give any priority to donated items, or hold them to less stringent review.

The legal line that Libraries must tow is overwhelming in this day and age. What seems like a simple matter to the patrons, often involves hours of red tape and meeting legal criteria for the library. The number of threats, and lawsuits over what material is or is not made available is astounding,and because of this the libraries must have very clear criteria for how/why they select material. Often this includes in “passing the buck” in the form of saying “well, this book review periodical made this recommendation…”

I think a good Parish library is a great idea!
 
Dwyer said:
Personally, I wouldn’t donate any books to a public library.

They may or may not keep them. Really, unless you have a written donation agreement, preferably drafted by your attorney, the books become the library’s property and they can do whatever they like with them.

I’ve attended a lot of used book sales at public libraries, and I’ve even see books for sale that had special Library donation labels on the inside that someone paid a fee (something $11.00-$15.00) to the library to remember someone by being sold for $1.00.
…

…Maybe a Catholic university, Catholc school, or Parish Library would be a better choice to find a good home for your books, but I’ve even seen some books for sale stamped by local Catholic schools for sale (I remember buying a book that was a study of the Mass and some Biblical studies books) but granted not in large quantities or that many, but even Catholic schools, apparently, get rid of their books from time to time…
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I really have to agree with the above. It’s a public library - i.e. owned by City or Township - tending to be political and not necessarily known for their religious leanings (Catholic, in particular). Not to mention, my local libraries have either “Free Books” (you can just pick what you want and take to keep whatever they want to get rid of) or sales for as little as cents per item.

As for Catholic establishments - depending - how many schools have had texts that were replaced for newer versions? Much depends on what your books are and who the recipient is.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hi everyone. My local library has absolutely no books on the Catholic faith. I am considering donating my Catholic books that I have already read to the library so that they have some and so that hopefully some people will read them and want to convert to the Catholic faith. All my Catholic books are good ones and have at least an imprimatur. So, should I donate the books that I have already read to the library or not? :confused: By the way, this is a public library I am speaking about. Vote in my poll! 👍
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I said no because most of the time public libraries will either not put them in circulation or will pull them after a bit and discard them. Better to carefully choose who to give them to.
 
I’ve donated books to a public library before also. Mine never hit the shelves, even though I reviewed them first with the staff before donating them. I’m a little bitter, but I’ve learned from it.

Don’t donate to them. Try and find a better home for your books.It is great that you are so generous in wanting to though.
 
I’ve been thinking about donating some of the beginner level books to the RCIA group at my parish.

I think it would be a great idea to donate them to a public library it they want them.
 
Marat said:
I’ve donated books to a public library before also. Mine never hit the shelves, even though I reviewed them first with the staff before donating them. I’m a little bitter, but I’ve learned from it.

Don’t donate to them. Try and find a better home for your books.It is great that you are so generous in wanting to though.
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I may just decide to keep them and loan them out to people who want to learn about Catholicism.
 
You might want to make a list of titles you would like to see on the shelves and request that them.

Our library takes requests into consideration when purchasing new books.
 
Most probably they would end up either in the book sale table or in the dumpster.

Alternatives might be … talk with your pastor to see if your parish has a library and, if so, if they would welcome Catholic books donations. Or, a nearby parish might have a parish library.

Some or most diocese have ministries to prisons. They might welcome book donations that they could give to prisoners as gifts. Check first to see if they have such a ministry or if they would want your book donations. The diocese of Houston has a program like that.
 
Al_Masetti said:
Most probably they would end up either in the book sale table or in the dumpster.

Alternatives might be … talk with your pastor to see if your parish has a library and, if so, if they would welcome Catholic books donations. Or, a nearby parish might have a parish library.

Some or most diocese have ministries to prisons. They might welcome book donations that they could give to prisoners as gifts. Check first to see if they have such a ministry or if they would want your book donations. The diocese of Houston has a program like that.
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Thank you for this advice but I am seriously considering keeping the books for future reference. However, I might choose to donate them to a parish library. I’m not sure yet. 🤷
 
Holly3278 said:
Thank you for this advice but I am seriously considering keeping the books for future reference. However, I might choose to donate them to a parish library. I’m not sure yet. 🤷
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I have a good friend who keeps an extensive Catholic library that she loans out from very liberally. If she finds some books secondhand, she’ll keep extra copies and give those away. She is very involved with a group of devout Protestant homeschoolers and often has resources for them when they initiate conversations on Catholicism.

In this way, she and her husband have combined their love of books with generousity and charity.

I’m different. I like to clear my shelves periodically. I usually offer them to friends or leave them at our perpetual Adoration chapel. I’ve donated books to the church library, but I have never seen anyone other than myself going through the shelves there.

There have been times that I’ve wanted a book back to reread. At those times, I either call my friend–she is sure to have a copy. Or, I repurchase. It bothers me that I might have a book that someone else might need.

But, I do have some books of which I can’t seem to let go. And, I have a few classics that I know I should read, but haven’t made myself do the serious work of reading them. :o
 
Holly3278 said:
Hi everyone. My local library has absolutely no books on the Catholic faith. I am considering donating my Catholic books that I have already read to the library so that they have some and so that hopefully some people will read them and want to convert to the Catholic faith. All my Catholic books are good ones and have at least an imprimatur. So, should I donate the books that I have already read to the library or not? :confused: By the way, this is a public library I am speaking about. Vote in my poll! 👍
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I would get a few other Catholics on board with your request, and ask the library to buy some basic books… Pointing out politely that far from being “strictly sectarian” the books would serve a purpose in providing education. (My public uni library - one of the LARGEST collections in the nation or the world, for one of the LARGEST student bodies, did not subsribe to L’osservatore Romano citing “church state seperation” Huh? )

From there I would consider donating your own collection to a church, seminary or even shipping them overseas to Africa - where some seminaries have seminarians sharing books! (Granted yours would come more under the “pious reading” heading for them!)
 
Thank you everyone for your advice. I have decided to keep the books and loan them out to people who are interested. 🙂
 
Holly3278 said:
Thank you everyone for your advice. I have decided to keep the books and loan them out to people who are interested. 🙂
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SMART.

Plus now you can be the one to recomend, and when the return them, you have someone to “talk books” with!

It is win/win!
 
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