Although the major source of funding comes through taxes, private philanthropy plays a key role in meeting the goals of the Addison Public Library. The Board of Trustees welcomes gifts, memorials, and bequests to build library resources and extend, enrich, and improve its services. Gifts that are unrestricted in their use are particularly sought by the Board since these gifts can be used to address the highest priorities or to fund especially useful materials and equipment for which funds are not otherwise available.
Donors who wish to contribute towards specific collections or needs of the Library should contact the Library Director, who will target collections requiring enrichment and identify special programs, projects, and equipment needs that would benefit from private support. Monetary gifts, including recognitions, tributes, bequests, and memorials, will be gratefully accepted to support these activities. Gifts intended for other purposes, whether monetary or material in nature will be accepted if they are considered by the Board of Trustees to be compatible with the Library’s purposes, policies, and collection goals.
Donations of materials, art objects, or other types of personal property are subject to review and are accepted within the policy limitations listed below:
- Donated materials become the sole property of the Library. Library staff will accept these gifts without obligation as to their final disposition. Materials that staff consider not to meet the needs of the Library, that are damaged or unsuitable for circulation or sale may be refused. Donors are responsible for transporting materials to the Library. Large donations of materials must be arranged in advance.
- Materials that are not outright gifts to the Library are accepted only for special exhibits of limited duration.
- The Library has the right to refuse donated material with stipulations for special processing, handling, shelving, or display.
- In determining whether a material-specific gift item is to be added to the Library’s collection, the same standards are applied with respect to a gift as are used in the selection of an item for purchase.
- Personal property, art objects, portraits, antiques, and other museum-quality objects are considered for acceptance on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Trustees. Permanent display or ownership of an item is not guaranteed by the Board if the item is accepted.
- The Library staff will acknowledge all monetary gifts by issuing a receipt or letter of acknowledgment to the donor. Acknowledgment of the receipt of donated material will be made, but no monetary value will be assigned to the gift.
Book Dedications
The Addison Public Library Book Dedication program allows individuals or groups to pay tribute to a person or event by placing a bookplate in a book that is already a part of the collection of the Addison Public Library.
For a donation of $15 for a children’s book, or $20 for a teen or adult book, the Library will purchase a book to be added to the collection. Library staff will work with the donor to select the item, and a book plate will be placed in the book. The library retains ownership of the item which will be circulated and withdrawn, when necessary, under the same guidelines as other items in the library’s collection.
All book dedications will be acknowledged with a letter from the library to the donor An additional letter will be sent to the honoree, or the family of a deceased person, if the donor wishes.
If acceptable to the donor, book dedications will be acknowledged in the library's newsletter or on the library’s web site.
Material Donation Guidelines
The Addison Public Library appreciates donations of books. Audiovisual material are not accepted. Because of space constraints in the collection and the fact that library materials must be in excellent condition to hold up under repeated circulation, very few items are accepted for addition to the Library collection. All items must also fit the criteria established in the Library’s Selection Policy to be considered. Materials not added to the Library collection will be disposed of at the discretion of the Library. Books may also be offered to The Friends of the Library for their ongoing book sale. The proceeds of the sale are used for the benefit of the library.
The Library also welcomes donations by local authors. A local author is defined as living in the Greater Chicagoland area. The Library will apply the same inclusion and retention guidelines as stated in the general materials selection policy. A local author submission form must accompany the book. Authors will be notified by email regarding the decision within one month of receipt of materials. If the work is refused based on the Library’s guidelines, the staff will hold the work for thirty (30) days for pick-up. Unsolicited work(s) will not be returned.
The Library will not accept donations of the following types of materials:
- Textbooks
- Encyclopedias
- Reader’s Digest Condensed Books
- Books that are in poor condition.
Naming Guidelines
Library Building
At the discretion of the Board, the naming of the Library building may be considered in the event of an extraordinary contribution for a Library building project. The entity known as the Addison Public Library shall not be subject to naming, but the building housing the Library may be so named. Such naming shall only be considered for an individual or family.
Endowment Funds
Named Endowment Funds are intended for the continued support of the Library. The Board shall appropriate for the expenditure or accumulation of all Endowment Funds pursuant to the standard of conduct set forth in 760 ILCS 51/4. These named Funds will be established in perpetuity with the income used for the annual operation of the Library. The principal remains intact. A named endowment may be requested by the donor or proposed by the Board with permission of the person or corporation to be named. The request shall be evaluated by the Board for approval. Fifty-one (51) percent of the minimum amount must be physically secured by the Library before the Library Director recommends the establishment of the named Endowment Fund. The remainder must be pledged and received within five (5) years. In the event that the flow of funds agreed upon does not reach the named amount within five years, the Library Director may recommend to the Board that the named Endowment Fund be dissolved and the funds be co-mingled with other Library gift monies. A minimum of $50,000 is required for Board consideration for a named endowment.
Named Rooms and Special Use Areas.
Generally, only meeting rooms and designated special use areas shall be named for an individual, family, foundation, or corporation. The naming of such a space generally requires a contribution of a percentage of the cost of the area in proportion of the total cost of the facility or the project for the facility but valuations may be assigned to naming rights possibilities on a case-by-case basis to aid with making decisions about granting naming rights. The proportion shall be determined by the Board who may take advice from such persons or other professionals as needed. Each case may consider market comparisons for naming rights, for which professional advice may be sought. The Board shall be responsible for determining the manner in which the name is recognized (e.g., signage). The physical display of the naming rights may be decided or negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The Board may consider honorary naming rights for named rooms and special use areas to honor the service, commitment, or other type of participation by an individual, civic, or charitable group.
Name Recognition.
Name recognition for a non-public room, or area inappropriate for naming, may be used to recognize a donor by a conspicuously displaced placard. Name recognition may be the name of an individual, family, foundation or corporation making a contribution in proportion to the total cost of the facility. The proportional cost shall generally be less than a named or titled room and that amount shall be determined at the time of the project by the Board.
Eligibility for Corporate Naming and Name Recognition.
Corporations that are compatible with the Library’s mission and reflect a positive influence on the Library may be eligible for naming or name recognition for all naming opportunities, except for the naming of the Library building. Such corporations must have a high ethical standard of business practice. Corporate logos will be excluded from signage and placards to avoid appearance of commercial influence.
Duration of Name Recognition.
The Library reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to terminate naming rights without refund of consideration, prior to the scheduled termination date, should it believe it is necessary to do so to avoid the Library being brought into disrepute. Naming opportunities do not extend beyond the useful life of the spaces or facilities within which they are located. The naming or name recognition of a Library facility, room or special use area may also end under the following circumstances:
- A building, room, or special use area is drastically altered through construction or is to be demolished.
- In the event the building is drastically altered through construction, the Board shall reserve the right to add/alter gift recognition, including the room’s naming. Any donor plaques displaced as a result of this will be rededicated in an alternative location in accordance with the time frame developed for the original gift.
- A building, room, or special use area changes function to the extent that the purpose for the naming or name recognition is no longer relevant.
- When a named room has reached the end of its useful life and will be replaced or substantially renovated, the replaced or renovated space may be renamed in recognition of a new donor or honoree. Appropriate recognition of earlier donors or honorees shall be included in, or adjacent to, new, renovated, or redeveloped facilities.
- If the individual or corporation is engaged in activities that are in conflict with the Library’s mission and values or is involved in disreputable or criminal activities that would bring dishonor and embarrassment to the Library.
Naming rights may be renewed by mutual agreement between all of the parties.
Naming Agreements
All agreements for naming through philanthropic gifts shall be documented in a contract between the donor and the Board. Contracts shall detail the terms of the agreement in accordance with the terms of the naming policy and any conditions mutually agreed upon by the donor and the Board. In the case of pledged donations or deferred gifts, the naming agreement may take effect with the first payment. In the case of failure of the donor to uphold the agreement, the Board may withdraw the naming commitment. The Board shall notify the donor regarding the consideration to withdraw the name and provide a reasonable time to correct the deficiency. In the event of removal of the naming, funds already collected shall not be returned to the donor. The named party after whom a building or part of a building is named shall have no rights to the purpose to which that building, or part of the building is applied unless provided for in a specific contract between the parties. The Library will not agree to any conditions in a contract that could unnecessarily limit progress towards the Library’s mission and plan or its statutory and legal obligations.
Informed Consent and Transferability.
The Library will not grant any naming rights without the informed consent of the named party or the named party’s legal representative. Naming rights may only be transferred to any other named party by mutual agreement between all of the named parties and the Library.