Friends of the Library
Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Library is a group of dedicated volunteers who recognize the vital importance of libraries in our community. Their efforts support the Library and its programs—both financially and with time spent volunteering.
Become a Friends of the Library Volunteer
- Fill out the volunteer application.
- Once your application is submitted, a member of the Friends of the Library will be in touch.
Donate your books, movies, and music
The Friends accept donations used books, movies, magazines, and music. Gently used items that meet the guidelines below will be considered for Grand Rapids Public Library’s collection.
All other donations will be used in the Friends of the Library book sales. All proceeds benefit the Grand Rapids Public Library directly.
Small donations may be brought to the desk at any GRPL location. Larger donations may be boxed and left on the Main Library’s loading dock off of Fountain Street. Fill out this donation receipt for your own files.
Donation Guidelines
Accepted donation items:
- Adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction books
- All types of book formats in like new or good condition
- Magazines in like new or good condition
- CDs and DVDs in good condition
- Annually-updated books published within the last 3 years (examples: World Almanac or Fodor’s Travel guides)
Unaccepted donation items:
- Damaged or dirty items
- Advance Reading Copies or Professional Review Copies
- Out-of-date reference materials, textbooks, and popular travel books
- VHS, cassette tapes, and vinyl records
- Non-factory manufactured items, such as homemade DVDs or CDs
- Reader’s Digest Condensed Books
Shop our Book Sales
The Friends’ Book & Gift Shop is located on Level 3 of the Main Library. Find a large selection of gently used materials for sale including books, magazines, records, CDs, DVDs, and more. All GRPL locations feature a selection of items for sale and proceeds support the Friends of the Library.
FAQ
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No, we do not accept donations of vinyl records.
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We accept donations of gently used books, movies, and music. Donated items that meet our guidelines will be considered for our collection. If we do not need the items in our collection, we will pass them along to the Friends of the Library who sell used books in their shop on Level 3 of the Main Library. All proceeds benefit the Library directly.
Small donations may be brought to the desk at any GRPL location. Larger donations may be boxed and left on the Main Library’s loading dock off of Fountain Street. Fill out this donation receipt for your own files.
