Short answer: Raise money and let the librarian choose the books. School library selection policies usually evaluate donated books by the same criteria as purchases, so a pile of donated books may not reach the shelves, while money or an adopt-a-book program built on the librarian's wish list always does. Fund it with a read-a-thon, a used-book sale or a short donation ask, recognize donors with bookplates, and agree with the school on what happens to books that aren't added.
Library books are one of the easiest projects to explain to families and one of the easiest to get wrong. This guide is part of fundraising for school projects. It covers working with the librarian, the selection policy that governs gifts, and running each kind of book fundraiser so the money ends up as books students actually borrow.
Start with the librarian
The school librarian (sometimes called the library media specialist) knows what the collection lacks, which titles are worn out, what the curriculum needs this year and what the district's selection policy requires. Before a parent group announces a library fundraiser, ask for twenty minutes and four answers:
- What the collection needs most. New titles, replacements for worn copies, a series students wait for, nonfiction for a new unit, books in the languages families speak at home.
- How books are bought. Some districts buy through approved suppliers so books arrive processed: covered, labeled and cataloged. Ask whether a parent group can buy books directly or should give money for the library to order.
- What processing costs. Covers, labels and cataloging cost time or money. A goal that pays only for the book may leave the librarian short.
- How gifts are handled. Ask for the library's selection policy, or the section of the district's board policy on library materials, and read what it says about gifts.
Then agree on a goal in books and dollars, and a list. "$2,500 for 120 titles on the librarian's list" raises more than "help our library," and it's easy to report on afterward. The guide to setting a realistic fundraising goal adds the fundraiser's own costs and a cushion to that figure.
How selection policies treat gifts
Many school districts have a board-approved policy for choosing library materials, and gifts usually fall under it. The American Library Association's selection policy toolkit, which many libraries use as a model, advises school librarians to tell donors that "all donations and gifts are evaluated using the same selection criteria" as purchased materials. Its sample school language says decisions about the use of donated materials and funds follow those same criteria, and that donated books, like purchased ones, are removed at the end of their useful life. The toolkit also suggests stating that a donated item that isn't added to the collection won't be returned to the donor, and its public library example says library staff select the materials bought with donated money.
In practice, that means three things for a parent group:
- A gift isn't a guarantee. Donated books go through review like any other. Tell donors so up front, kindly.
- The librarian chooses. Money given for books is spent on books the librarian selects, which is why wish lists work so well.
- Books don't last forever. A dedicated book may be weeded years later when it's worn or outdated. Say so in the program description, so no family is surprised.
Books given to a public school also usually become district property, as explained in who owns what you buy. Small book gifts are often handled more simply than equipment, but ask the principal how your district records them.
Money, wish lists or donated books
| Way to give | How it works | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money for books | The parent group gives the school a check for library materials | Librarian chooses; books arrive processed; least volunteer work | Less visible to families unless you report back with titles |
| Adopt-a-book | Families pay for one title from the librarian's list and get a bookplate | Personal, visible, fits birthdays and teacher thank-yous | Tracking dedications and bookplates takes a volunteer |
| New-book drive | Families buy specific titles from a posted list and bring them in | Feels hands-on; no money changes hands at school | Duplicates and substitutions; books may still need processing |
| Used-book drive | Families donate books they've finished with | Free to give; good for classroom libraries and book sales | Few used books meet library standards; plan where the rest go |
Running an adopt-a-book program
Adopt-a-book (also called dedicate-a-book or a birthday book club) turns the librarian's wish list into individual gifts. A family pays for a title, the librarian orders it, and a bookplate inside names the child, class, teacher or person being honored. The ALA toolkit's school section suggests keeping a list of titles donors can buy as gifts in honor or memory of individuals, so this kind of program fits comfortably inside a typical selection policy.
- Get the list and a price
Ask the librarian for a list of titles and a flat price per adoption that covers the average book plus processing and the bookplate. A flat price is simpler than pricing each title.
- Write the program rules
The librarian makes the final choice of title, books join the regular collection and circulate to everyone, and books are eventually retired when worn. Put any extra money toward the library's book budget, and say so.
- Collect and track
Use a simple form: donor, the honoree's name exactly as it should appear, the occasion, and a title preference if any. One volunteer keeps the list.
- Celebrate the books
Let honored students be the first to borrow their book, post a monthly list of new dedications, and send the family a photo of the bookplate.
Example The librarian lists 120 titles averaging $20 each, plus $1.50 per book for processing and a bookplate, so the books cost $2,580. At $25 per adoption, 120 adoptions raise $3,000, and the $420 left over goes to the library's book budget as the program rules promised.
Running a book drive
A book drive collects books instead of money. It works best with a clear destination for every kind of book that comes in.
- New-book drives post the librarian's list, with titles and formats, and ask families to bring books unopened with the receipt in case of duplicates. Mark titles as taken so you don't get eight copies of one book.
- Used-book drives should be honest that most donations will go to classroom libraries, take-home book bins or a used-book sale, not the main library. Publish what you can't take, such as damaged books, textbooks and adult titles.
- Sort with the librarian's criteria, not volunteers' tastes. Set aside anything the librarian might want, then send the rest to the agreed destination.
- Agree on what happens to leftovers before the drive starts, consistent with the selection policy: classroom libraries, a used-book sale, or another school or community group.
Turning leftover donations into money is covered in the guide to book fairs and used-book sales.
Classroom libraries
Classroom libraries are usually the teacher's collection rather than the school library's, and they're often less formal about donated books, which makes them a good home for gently used donations. Two things still apply. Books bought with parent group money for a classroom are gifts to the school, so they generally stay with the classroom or school when a teacher moves. And if your group funds classroom libraries, split the money evenly or by need across classrooms rather than leaving it to which families are in which class. Classroom book requests often sit alongside supply wish lists; the guide to classroom grants and teacher wish lists covers giving each teacher a set amount to spend.
Fundraisers that fit a library
- Read-a-thon. Pledges for minutes read put the fundraiser and the goal in the same place. The library read-a-thon guide covers running one with the school librarian, and the read-a-thon guide covers the format; estimate what yours might raise with the read-a-thon fundraising calculator.
- Book fair or used-book sale. A book fair can earn a share of sales or credit for books, and a used-book sale keeps almost every dollar. Check whether credit can be spent on the librarian's list. The book fair and used-book sale guide covers choosing between profit and book credit.
- Bookplates as recognition. Whatever the main fundraiser, a bookplate is the natural thank-you for a library gift, and a thermometer drawn as a stack of books shows progress toward the list.
Library books also fit the usual layers for a larger goal, such as naming them as a purpose of the year's main fundraiser or adding a local literacy grant; combining fundraisers, grants and sponsors covers how those fit together.
Acknowledging book donations
Donated books are in-kind gifts. The IRS's guide for charities, Publication 1771, says donors need a contemporaneous written acknowledgment to deduct any single gift of $250 or more, and that for a noncash gift it describes the item but doesn't state its value. The publication points to IRS Publication 561 for how donated property is valued. Money given for adopt-a-book is a cash gift and is acknowledged the same way as any other donation. The donor thank-you section of the results guide covers the wording, and the donation request letter guide has an in-kind gift form.
Selection policies, purchasing rules and how gifts are accepted are set by each district and library. Ask the librarian for the selection policy and the principal how gifts are recorded before you announce a library fundraiser, and ask your treasurer how to acknowledge in-kind book donations. This page describes common patterns; it isn't legal or tax advice.
Sources
- Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: Gifts and Donations, American Library Association (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Publication 1771: Charitable Contributions, Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
How can we raise money for our school library?
Start with the librarian's wish list and a goal in books and dollars. Then fund it with a read-a-thon, a used-book sale, an adopt-a-book program or a short donation ask, or name library books as a purpose of the year's main fundraiser. Report back with the titles bought, so families see exactly what their money did.
Will the school library accept donated books?
Often, but not all of them. Library selection policies usually review gifts by the same standards as purchases, and books that don't fit the collection may go to classroom libraries or a book sale instead. Ask the librarian before a drive what they can use, and give families the librarian's list of new titles if you want books on the shelves.
How does an adopt-a-book program work?
A family pays a set price for a book from the librarian's wish list, and the book gets a bookplate naming the child, teacher or person honored. The librarian chooses and orders the title, and it circulates to every student. Set one price that covers the book, processing and the bookplate, and say where any extra goes.
Is it better to give the library books or money?
Money, or wish-list gifts, usually does more. The librarian can choose titles that fit the collection and order them already processed for checkout. Donated books suit classroom libraries, take-home bins and used-book sales. A mix works well: a book drive for classrooms, plus money or adopt-a-book gifts for the main library.
Can a parent group fund classroom libraries?
Yes, with the principal's agreement. Give each classroom an equal amount or allocate by need, so classrooms don't depend on which families they happen to have. Books bought with group money are gifts to the school and usually stay with the classroom or school, not the teacher, so make that clear when the money is given.