Donate to the Racine Public Library
Want to give funds, books or other items to the library? Donate OnlineThank you for considering a donation to the Racine Public Library.
The Racine Public Library is happy to receive funds, books and other items as gifts to support its work. Want to learn more about what gifts we accept and what you can expect from the giving process?
Items We Accept
New and gently used* items from this list:
- Fiction books of any age
- Nonfiction newer than 10 years
- Music CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays in cases
- Popular magazines newer than one year
- Books, games and hard toys
- Historical documents about the city or county of Racine for the History Room
*We can accept historical items with some damage. - Yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needles, needles, hoops, thread, fabric, and other fiber arts supplies for our supply swap
Donating Books and Other Items
When you donate books or other items to the library, we carefully consider how best the items can support our work. The gift may be added to our collection for visitors to borrow, or added to our History Room or supply swap. Or, it might be added to one of the book sales by the Friends of the Racine Public Library. If we can’t use a donation for any of these purposes, we may offer it as a giveaway, donate it to other organizations, or discard it.
Any items donated during Friends of the Library book sale drive periods will most likely be given directly to the Friends if you don’t request otherwise. Typically, this will be during the month before a Friends book sale.
Items We Can’t Accept
- Textbooks
- National Geographic issues
- Reader’s Digest condensed books
- Encyclopedia sets
- VHS and cassette tapes
- Scratched discs
- Seeds
- Soft toys
- Items for the Beyond Books Collection
- Items discarded by other libraries
Anything gross or damaged. We discard items with:
- Writing or highlighting
- Missing pages or parts
- Mold or dirt
- Water damage
- Smells
How to Donate Items to the Library
To donate one box of items or less, bring your donation to the building during our open hours.
To donate more than one box of items, please contact us to arrange a drop-off time.
Please plan to unload donations yourself. If you need help unloading, please call ahead so we can plan to assist you.
While we will give you a receipt to acknowledge your gift, we can’t assess the value of donated items.
Learn More about Donating Items
Want to learn more about what items we accept and how they’ll be used? Check out our policies for item donations below.
How to Donate Items to the Library
To donate items, just bring them by during the library’s open hours. If you have more items than would fit in one box, please get in touch to arrange a drop-off time in advance.
While we will give you a receipt to acknowledge your gift, we can’t assess the value of donated items.
Learn More about Donating Items
Want to learn more about what items we accept and how they’ll be used? Check out our policies for item donations below.
Need more information?
Want to learn more about the library’s finances and how it uses funds before making a decision? Feel free to reach out to our Executive Director or peruse our budget.
Donating Money
If you’d like to give funds to the library, please give us a call at (262) 636-9170. The best way to donate directly to the library is to stop by with cash or a check or send your check in the mail.
Other Ways to Donate
Want to give a gift that you know will sustain the library for years to come? Your donation to the Racine Public Library Foundation supports funds that help the library advance services, build collections and improve technology and facilities — such as through our 2022 second-floor renovation. In addition, your donation will be deposited into accounts that gain interest from year to year, helping the library guarantee its work for years to come.
Donor Policies
Want to learn more about how gifts are used and what you can expect? Check out our policies for financial donors below, or explore our other policies.
Donating Money
If you’d like to give funds to the library, please give us a call at (262) 636-9170. The best way to donate directly to the library is to stop by with cash or a check.
Other Ways to Donate
Want to give a gift that you know will sustain the library for years to come? Your donation to the Racine Public Library Foundation supports funds that help the library advance services, build collections and improve technology and facilities. In addition, your donation will be deposited into accounts that gain interest from year to year, helping the library guarantee its work for years to come.
Donor Policies
Want to learn more about how gifts are used and what you can expect? Check out our policies for financial donors below, or explore our other policies.
Need more information?
Want to learn more about the library’s finances and how it uses funds before making a decision? Feel free to reach out to our Executive Director or peruse our budget.