Donations of Books

No longer have room for old or pre-used books, CDs and DVDs? Why not donate them to the library? The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) will take it from there!

Your donations can be dropped off at any Friends Volunteer Bookshop  during regular hours. If distance makes that inconvenient, donations can also be left at the Ottawa Public Library branch nearest you. Just let the staff know and attach a note indicating they are for the FOPLA book-sales.

FOPLA accepts the following types of donations, provided they are in good condition:

• Children’s books
• Young-adult fiction
• Graphic novels
• Literary classics
• All forms of fiction and non-fiction: travel guides (not more than five-years old), history, sports, humour, hobbies, poetry, cookbooks, dictionaries, parenting, self-help, thesauri and coffee table books
• Audio-visual material (music, audio books and movies) that is complete and undamaged.
• Magazines that are in excellent condition and appear to be of technical or historical value
• Text books fewer than 10 years old

FOPLA respectfully declines:

• Trade magazines, fashion magazines, women’s and men’s magazines, etc.
• All books that are not intact or that contain yellowed pages, smells or mildew (mildew spreads!)
• Books with excessive writing, markings, or highlighting
• Encyclopedias
• National Geographic magazines
• Harlequins
• Audio cassettes

If you have a donation you are not sure about, please contact us or donate it anyway. Some sorting out is always necessary before putting items up for sale.

FOPLA can accommodate larger donations at the Main Library (120 Metcalfe Street). If you have a large donation, call to arrange a time to drop off your boxes of books.

Your donations of good books make a huge difference in your community.

For more information about donating books please contact Marie Petersen, FOPLA Administrative Assistant @ 613-580-2424 x14383 or email marie.petersen@biblioottawalibrary.ca

Volunteering

At the Ottawa Public Library

For more information on volunteer opportunities with the Library and various library programs, please visit the Ottawa Public Library website

With the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA)

If you are available to donate your time to FOPLA  book sales or projects, Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) can use your help. FOPLA relies on a team of over 300 volunteers to run their bookstores, sit on the Board of Directors, sort books, and otherwise help FOPLA perform their work.

“We are lucky to have an incredible team of dedicated, passionate volunteers who want to give back to the libraries that they love,” says FOPLA President Colin Plows

If you’d like to join the FOPLA team, contact Marie Petersen with your availability and to talk about how you can help.  

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