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Behind the Scenes: Donations Part One

In November 2022, we shared The Life of a Book at Menomonee Falls Public Library. Now we’d like to share with you everything you need to know about item donations as we prepare for our annual fall book sale. 

Thank You for Your Donations!

We appreciate your donations of books, movies, and music. When items are in good condition, we use your donations in different ways:

  • Additional Copies: To have more copies of popular titles.
  • Replacements: To replace old or worn-out copies.
  • Book Sale: Where it will find a home with another member of the community.
  • Partnerships: To support other non-profits.
piles of book donations
boxes of donated books

What You Need to Know About Donating

Types of Items

  • Books for all ages in new or gently used condition.
  • DVDs and Blu-Rays for all ages.
  • Music CDs and books on CD for all ages.
  • No textbooks, VHS tapes, LP records, cassettes, encyclopedias/reference books, or magazines. 

Item Condition

  • New or gently used: Please don’t donate old, tattered, or worn-out items.
  • No strong odors: Nothing that was stored in the basement or attic, or somewhere with strong smells like smoke or pets.
  • No mold, mildew, dirt, hair, food, or bugs.
  • No damage: Sun (faded, yellowed or browned pages), water (wrinkled or discolored), other: coloring, writing, torn or bent pages/covers, etc.

Where & When to Donate

  • Donations are only accepted at the checkout desk in the lobby during regular Library hours.
  • If you have a lot of items, please call ahead at 262-532-8900. We can provide a cart to help you bring items from your car.

 What happens to items that don’t fit the requirements?

Unfortunately, we receive many items that do not fit the requirements. Our staff sort donations by hand, and when materials do not meet the requirements, we must take the time to decide how to correctly dispose of them.

If the items you are considering for donation don’t meet the requirements, it’s likely that those items have come to the end of their life cycle. Please dispose of those items at home.

In our community, paperback/softcover books can be recycled in your curbside bin. Hardcover books must have the covers removed and thrown away, and the inside pages can then be recycled.

For more information, please see:

So, now you’ve packed up your donations and are headed to the Library. Find out what happens next in Behind the Scenes: Donations Part 2!