Donations, Gifts and Bequests

New Westminster is unique in having a municipally supported Public Library that has served the community since 1865.

While the majority of our funding comes from the Library's share of the taxes paid to the City of New Westminster, donations, gifts and bequests help the Library to make special purchases and to fund projects and services beyond the scope of our operating budget.

In particular, the Library welcomes:

Donations

Your dollars will help the Library to enrich the collection or add to the Library's Reserve Fund, which is used to support special needs as they arise. Donations also can be made for specific purposes. The Library is able to supply official receipts for Income Tax purposes for the full value of your donation.

 

Gifts

Thank you for supporting the New Westminster Public Library with your donations of books, magazines and audiovisual materials. Some items that are given to the Library will be used to enrich the collection. Others will be sold through Library booksales to raise funds for special projects.

Due to the volume of donations and interest shown at booksales we do not accept all donations.

• Books and magazines of current interest, and in good condition
• CDs, DVDs and videocassettes

Donations may be brought to the Library

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of the month

1 to 5 p.m. on the last Saturday of the month.

Materials should be in boxes or bags, and marked as gifts to the New Westminster Public Library. Donors must be able to bring materials into the library without assistance.

The library does not offer tax receipts for donations of material to the library. Monetary donations are eligible for tax receipts. For information about making cash donations, please refer to the brochure “Donations and Bequests”.

If items you have do not fit our criteria, you may consider giving paperbacks and magazines to rest homes or seniors centers.

Memorials

A donation in memory of a friend or loved one honours both the donor and the person remembered. A memorial bookplate will be added to material purchased if you so request.

Bequests

Through the generosity of many individuals who have remembered the New Westminster Public Library in their wills, a Reserve Fund has been established to fund both future additions to the collections and special services. Bequests can also be made for specific purchases, services or types of material.

Planned Giving

Recent changes in tax law have made it more advantageous to explore a number of options for charitable giving. These include using vehicles such as life insurance and charitable trusts for lowering your income tax and possibly the fees when your will is probated. Discuss these options with your professional tax advisor if you wish to take advantage of them and help the Library at the same time.

Please contact the Chief Librarian at 604-527-4675 for further information or to discuss your wishes.