Does anyone take donations that have been written in? I receive donations that run the gambit from just a name to underlining throughout the book. (Often I found books in the library when I come in once a week.) Of course, the ones that are really marked up, I know what to do with. My wonder is do you take the ones with the just the name? If you do, do you then mark through names or white out? What if the inscription is a little longer?
I guess for the most part I've just passed the buck along to another church library when I have been indecisive? But, after the conference at Ridgecrest, I know longer feel that the right thing either.
The library does have a section in it called unclassified which is used for some of the older softcover books that are donated, but are really too old to put in the collection. That we just kind of house and let patrons take without checking out. (Sort of a honor system.) Sometimes I put lightly written books in there.
I would love to know what others do.
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I would agree with Martha. Take the usable, less marked up copies if you truly wish to add to your collection. I've been doing a table outside of the library with FREE items. They get snatched up quickly and the rest I discard. I have found a source where the volunteer will take soft cover books / bibles / devotions to the county jail where she volunteers. This is a good source for donations. Someone at our church that was incarcerated read the book "Purpose Driven Life" and it totally changed his life around. He's sober and is now heading up our food distribution program to those in need. God always has a mission for all of his children.
well, we get a lot of donations and most of them have some markings in them. We mark out the name/address with heavy black marker. I do not take heavily marked up books like with highlighters and things like that. To me, if they are readable, that's okay. We have a mix of donations and new books- that suits our budget, and makes it stretch. If we have duplicates, we put them on a free to good home shelve in the hallway outside the library.