Details on Donation Policies at the Brooklyn Public Library

In an earlier post, many readers commented about how they were disappointed that our local library branch wouldn't take donations for the (small) branch collection. Turns out it is not a branch-specific policy. This is the response from the branch's children's librarian, Alexis Gutierrez:

"As far as I know (and what I tell people on the phone) is that we do take donations-- they just can't be put in the library's collection. This isn't Clinton Hill branch's personal policy, it's a systemwide one that doesn't make a lot of sense but unfortunately we are bound to it. (Also we don't take old mildewy stuff or encyclopedia sets before 1990, but that's kind of obvious :)

When people donate books, they go in our Donation Bins by the front door. They are for the community to benefit from-- and by that, I mean it's a simple Free Pile. I do have a Donation Receipt I give for folks who'd like something for tax purposes, but the donation process is pretty simple."

Changing that policy is another situation altogether, but why not use the community donation box anyway?  I ask every person to donate five books to the pile, and to pick some up next time they go.  When you're finished, put them back in the box.  It'll be like a micro-library within the library!

We'll hear more from Alexis in an interview soon.