Monetary Gifts - General
The Library Board is grateful for all donations and gifts. It is through the generosity of individuals and groups that areas of library service have been developed and the library collection enriched to an extent that would not otherwise have been possible.
The HMCPL accepts monetary gifts through the Huntsville-Madison County Library Foundation. The Library Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate for the library and to acquire resources that enhance the library’s value to the community.
The Library Foundation acknowledges all financial gifts by issuing receipts that may be used for Internal Revenue Service tax-deduction purposes.
The HMCPL board, administration, or the Library Foundation board may elect not to accept a specific monetary gift if:
- the gift is not in the best interest of the HMCPL;
- the source or conditions of the gift could damage the integrity, reputation, or mission of the HMCPL; or
- the gift imposes financial burdens on the HMCPL.
Monetary Gifts - Memorial and Honorary Donations
Monetary gifts for the purchase of books or other library material as memorials or honoraria will be accepted, and appropriate designation and acknowledgment will be made by the Library
Library staff will review titles that are available on a specified subject matter, if requested by the donor, and will select a title within a given price range that is most needed by the Library. These books or other materials become the property of the Library and will be treated as regular library acquisitions.
For memorial gifts, the Library Foundation will send an acknowledgement to the recipient designated by the donor indicating for whom the gift has been given and the name of the donor. For gifts made in honor, a notification of the gift and the donor will be sent to the honoree. The donor must provide the Library Foundation with names and addresses for notifications.
Memorial funds for special projects or acquisitions may be established if approved by the HMCPL Board.
Gifts of Books and Other Media
All gifts become the sole property of the Library and may be utilized or disposed of in any manner approved by the Board. In certain instances, if the Board deems it to be for the benefit of the Library, terms or restrictions may be placed upon gifts by the donors, and a contract entered into by the Board and the donor.
The addition of gift books and other materials to the Library collection is determined by the same standards of selection that are applied to purchased material. Library staff will review and screen material using such selection criteria as:
- Timeliness (published within the past 5 years)
- Scope
- Relevance to the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library collection policy
- Appropriateness of content and format
- Literary or educational quality
- Physical condition
- Sufficient availability of title in collection.
Materials not added to the collection may be sold by the Friends of the Library of the branch where the donation was made. Proceeds from these sales provide support for the library location receiving the gift. The Library does not provide notification to the donor of whether or not a gift has been placed in the collection.
Placement of donated items as well as the selection and placement of materials using monetary donations will be done in accordance with the Collection Development policy.
The donor is responsible for:
- Delivering gifts to the Library in small boxes or bags that can be easily lifted
- Completing the gift acknowledgement form that is provided by the Library and may be used for tax purposes.
Approved Date: 1/27/2026
