Making a Donation
Thank you for your generosity.
Your gift makes it possible for Helen Plum Library to enhance its collections and continue to serve as a vital resource for the Lombard community.
Your donation will be used to purchase adult, teen, or children's materials, and a note acknowledging the gift will also be sent.
The Library has been the recipient of several extremely large bequests. Consider making us part of your estate plan. Discussing the purpose of the donation with Library Leadership as part of that planning is strongly advised.
Donations to the Library qualify as charitable deductions for the donor under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. It states that deductions are qualified to "any political subdivision" if "the contribution or gift is made for exclusively public purposes."
Also, refer to IRS Publication 526, "Charitable Contributions", which lists, in part, "money or property you give to...local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purposes...". Under the Illinois Constitution, the Library is a local government and a political subdivision of the State of Illinois. Further, the Library's expenditures are limited by Illinois law to "public purposes."
Memorials, Tributes, and Gifts to the Library’s Collections
In anticipation of our move into the new Library building, we are currently accepting monetary donations for added and replacement copies of popular adult and youth materials. At this time, we are not adding memorial or tribute bookplates with each item purchased but are happy to acknowledge your donation with a thank you to the family you are recognizing and you. We plan to further evaluate our approach to donations after we have moved to the new building.
If you wish to pledge a financial contribution to the Library’s collections, you may download and print the Memorials, Tributes, and Gifts to the Library’s Collections form. Please fill in all relevant information so that we can follow your instructions accurately.
Gifts to the Library and Helen Plum Library Foundation
Donors may choose to provide funds for use at the Library’s discretion (not specifically for collections). Alternatively, funds may be given directly to the Helen Plum Library Foundation, an independent organization committed to supporting Library programs, services, and lifelong learning.
Thank you for thinking of the Library.
We are not accepting donations of books or other materials at this time.
Helen Plum Library Foundation
Established in 2015, the foundation is a nonprofit corporation that provides support for the Library through tax-deductible contributions.
Used Book Sale
The library provides pop-up book sales, please see the event calendar for future dates!
For information on where to donate and/or purchase used books, visit our blog post on book donations.
Other Helpful Information
Income Tax Statements
The library cannot assess the value of a donation. There is a donation form that can be completed for your records. It is the donor’s responsibility to determine the value of the donation or use an independent appraiser to do it for them.
Use of Donations
Any cash received by the Library, books, or any other objects, become the property of the Library and will be used or not, solely at the Library’s discretion. The Library does not accept gifts with the condition that they are kept, used, processed, or maintained in any certain way. We regret that we cannot guarantee the materials will be kept for perpetuity. Professional librarians may withdraw the items as they become outdated or damaged.
The library cannot commit itself to perpetually housing a donation. Of course, no donation will be disposed of in a careless manner and every donor can be assured that the library will respect their donation and house it as long as feasible.
Other Conditions
- No one may use the Library’s dumpsters to dispose of their unwanted materials.
- Library staff will not pick up donations from another location. Donations must be brought to the Library.
- Library staff can help transport donations into the library only if there are appropriate staff available to do so.