December is not only the busy holiday season, but also the time for end-of-year reviews, best-of lists, charitable giving, and tidying up. For some, it is a good time to clear out attics, basements, and guest rooms to make way for the year ahead, and what’s better than to combine tidying up with charitable giving by donating items to those in need?
But wait! Before you bring any donations to your local library, please note that most libraries in our area are unable to take donated books, due to limitations of space, time to process the materials, and the scope of collecting. Furthermore, Special Collections and Local History Departments can only accept materials that meet their specific mission statements and collecting policies.
In fact, we in HPL Special Collections recently updated our donation policies to bring us into the age of multi-format and digital collecting. If you are interested in donating materials to Special Collections, our Donations to Special Collections page is a great place to start: https://haverhillpl.org/special-collections/donations-to-special-collections/
We very much appreciate anyone who thinks of us when donating historical materials. If you are considering a donation, we are happy to discuss it with you! Please call or email the Special Collections Department to set up an appointment.
More Special Collections information is always available in our corner of the HPL website: https://haverhillpl.org/special-collections/