Q. Does the library accept book donations?

I have spoken to both Venice libraries on this topic. It is possible and desirable for the library to accept donations....just put them aside. After 72 hours, they are good to go! If that is too long, the books can be wanded and the Covid vanquished. I have a number of perfect condition bestsellers I would like to donate. I was told to give them to Goodwill. This is a great money saver for our libraries. Try a little harder, please!

Hi Donna, Thank you so much for taking the time to express your thoughts about donations and the library's situation. We appreciate hearing from you and value patron input, very much. You are right that with certain protocols, we can offer a safe way to provide materials to patrons. Current research provided by the Centers for Disease Control and through the American Library Association's vetted resources (for example, see the Northeast Document Conversation Center at: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3.-emergency-management/3.5-disinfecting-books) helps us with decision-making about safe-handling processes. We also are part of the Sarasota County government, and employ practices under their guidance and with the Department of Health. Currently, libraries are restricting meeting and study rooms, and have limited seating. Programs and events are primarily virtual. Library volunteers are not back in action yet, and bookstores are just beginning to operate, though somewhat limited or at some locations, not at all. Many of the items we had out on the floor (such as tables and chairs) are stored in meeting and study rooms. Because of the current Phase and our space and other constraints, it was determined to hold off on accepting donations at this time. But it's not forever. We truly appreciate the generous offer you and others present. If you can hold onto your donations for a time when we can again begin to accept them, that would be great. But if you need to move them out of your location, you are right that another non-profit may benefit from your generosity this way. Thank you again for your comment and use of Sarasota County Libraries. We truly appreciate it! We hope to see you in our libraries and online soon. -Cathay

The bookstore at Selby will have to close soon if they’re not allowed to receive donations. If needed, items donated can be held for a period of time, as returned materials to the library are. Since the pandemic began, we’ve learned the virus is not transmitted through surfaces. What was once surely a policy to protect the community against Covid, is now harming the library bookstore and the people and programs it serves.

Thank you so much for taking the time to express your thoughts and concerns about donations and the Friends of the Selby Public library bookstore situation. Currently we are still in a restricted phase of reopening that has been set at a Countywide level and our ability to accept donations is limited by these restrictions. Related to this, our Emergency Operation Center has specific guidelines that the libraries must follow to remain open. In addition to the need to follow these guidelines, another reason that libraries in Sarasota County are not yet accepting donations is due to short-term space issues caused by the need for social distancing. For example, in many cases areas where donated materials were previously stored are now occupied by furniture that has been removed from public spaces. All this said, Sarasota County Libraries are moving through our reopening processes and look forward to the time when we resume all aspects of normal operations including the receipt of donated materials for our Friends Bookstores.