Gift Policy

The Waunakee Public Library welcomes the support of the community through gifts of money or real property. These gifts help enrich and improve public library resources.

1. Authority
   1. According to the Wisconsin State Statutes s. 43.58 (Power & Duties), “the library board shall have exclusive control of the expenditures of all money collected, donated or appropriated to the library fund.”
   2. The funds described in this policy are included within the scope of this statement of authority.
2. Types of Gifts and Terms of Acceptance
   1. The Library does not accept gifts of books, pamphlets, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and other items without the approval of the Library Director. Such items will be accepted only if they enhance the library’s collection, such as materials relating to local, state, or regional history or culture. Any special collections of gift books that are deemed usable may be integrated into the regular collection rather than be kept together as a separate entity.
   2. Gifts of money, real property, art objects, portraits, antiques, and other museum objects are accepted or rejected on the basis of suitability to the library’s mission, décor, and availability of space for display, as well as the understanding that the library has the authority to make whatever disposition is deemed advisable, which may include sale, transfer to another agency, and so forth.
   3. Requirement of special housing or special handling of any item proposed as a gift may render it unacceptable.
3. Deposit Materials
   1. Requests to have materials temporarily housed in the library, i.e., materials that are not outright gifts, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, such requests will not be honored unless their benefit to the community as determined by the Library Director outweighs the extraordinary administrative procedures required to service them and they cannot be reasonably be made available to the community through any other source.
4. Special Library Funds
   1. The Library Special Revenue Fund, designated as the 220 Fund on the Village of Waunakee’s Income Statement as maintained by the Finance Director, is where miscellaneous income is deposited. Late fees, lost material revenue and other patron charges for service are deposited here; and associated expenditures will be transacted in Fund 220. The Library Director, under the supervision of the Library Board, may use special revenue fund money on special projects or services.
   2. The General Library Donation Account, designated as 100-48540070 on the Village of Waunakee’s Income Statement as maintained by the Finance Director, is where monetary contributions from individuals and groups to the library are deposited. Money from the sale of real property, art objects, portraits, antiques, and other museum objects donated to the library will also be deposited in this account.
   3. The Forever Fund is an endowment established through the Madison Community Foundation for the purpose of enhancing the library’s programming and services. Interest earned annually from this endowment will be used to fund library programming, technology, and staff training.