Library Lines
Book Donations
Have you ever wondered what happens to a book after it is donated to the library?
The Pocahontas County Free Libraries (PCFL) frequently receives book donations from its library pa- trons. These donations are always appreciated, as they help widen the selection of books available for circulation. According to Hillsboro Librarian Elwood Groves, over the past four years nearly half of the books added to the collection at the Hillsboro Library have been donated. However, due to space limitations, not every donated book makes it to the shelves. What is the process by which the books are evaluated?
“The first step is sorting,” Groves said. Donated books arrive in an array of conditions, ages and qual-ity. Some have been in an attic for years, others may be newly purchased and only read once.
“I look for gems,” Groves explained. “Books in good condition, books that will serve a purpose on the shelf, something we don’t have, a popular author, something that I know will interest our library’s patrons.
“Every time I decide what book to put on the shelves,” he said, “I have to make a judgment as to if and how that book will improve the quality and variety of the collection. Is this book important, significant? Will it fill a gap in the collection?”
An example is a recently donated book about the Bay of Pigs invasion.
“I realized we didn’t have a book about that significant historical event,” Groves said, “so the decision to shelve that book was an easy one.”
Typically, the Hillsboro Library has one copy of each book, although for very popular books both a hardback and paperback version may be kept.
The Libraries book collections are always in a state of change, with older books being “gleaned” (evaluated and removed from the shelves) to make room for newer ones.
Books may be removed due to lack of interest (eg, no one has checked out the book for five years), poor condition (cracked binding, torn or loose pages) or the author is no longer popular.
Groves says that books not selected by one library are shared with the other PCFL branches. Some books are given to area prison libraries. Still others are offered to the public to purchase.
The Hillsboro Library has an on-going used book sale from shelves in the back hallway: hardback books sell for $1, large paperbacks for 50 cents, and small paperbacks for 25 cents.
In addition, the Hillsboro Library Friends (HLF) holds an annual book sale during the Little Levels Heritage Fair, during which even more discounts are available.
This year the HLF book sale will take place Saturday, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillsboro Library. All proceeds from book sales benefit the Library.
For more information, call the Hillsboro Library at 304-653-4936.