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Nellie Pederson Civic Library

Book Donation Guidelines

Frequently the library receives anonymous donations of books that are left when the library was closed.  While donations of books and audio books are always welcome, the library has limited shelf space and many of these items cannot be used.  To assist those who would like to help the library in keeping its collections vibrant and of interest to its patrons, the following guidelines have been developed.

1. If you have more than a few books to donate, contact Library Director Lewis Stansell at 675-6495 or via e-mail at cliftonlib@cliftontexas.us discuss your donation.  Please do not leave books outside the library door.

2. The library accepts only materials that are new or gently used.  Books that are soiled or have signs of mildew cannot be mingled with other materials, and the library is not sufficiently staffed to handle disposal of these items.  Please limit your donations to books that are in good condition.

3. When books are donated to the library, the staff first determines whether the book is already in its collection.  If so, the copy that is in better condition is kept and the duplicate is placed in a sale rack in the library or stored for a library book sale.  

4. Library patrons prefer these genres:  classics, mystery fiction, general fiction, biographies, westerns, and non-fiction.  Current or recent bestsellers of any genre are always of interest to our patrons.  Books that are not of wide appeal to our patrons will be sold.

5. Unless they specifically refer to Texas or Bosque County, we cannot accommodate reference materials.  With the widespread availability of information on the Internet, our patrons prefer to access those sources for facts that are current.  Old dictionaries and encyclopedias have little or no value to our patrons or in our book sales.  This is also true of outdated technical books. 

Several Clifton-area residents regularly donate books they have recently purchased and read, which is a wonderful way to share your love of books and literacy with the community. Because Nellie Pederson Civic Library operates on a very limited budget, their generosity is greatly appreciated by staff and patrons.