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Donations

You can donate books to our libraries if they are in as-new condition and meet the criteria listed on this page. 

Non-fiction must have been published in the last two years, unless it is of local interest. 

Books and materials relating to the history of North Somerset are collected in the North Somerset Studies Library. In exceptional cases, used copies of books may be accepted for the local studies library if no as-new copies are available. 

Items we do not accept

  • books not in as-new condition, i.e. used, worn, damaged, or otherwise marked
  • books containing out-of-date information 
  • books containing information that is inapplicable to UK conditions and regulations 
  • books that are banned under UK law 
  • books in an unsuitable format for lending, e.g. spiral or ring-bound books, novelty books 
    • this also includes pop-up books and books with batteries, multi-volume books (e.g. encyclopaedias), expensive luxury editions, and books judged to be of poor production quality 
  • books intended for individual ownership or study
    • such as workbooks intended for use with instruction or by a teacher, books with fill-in sections, sticker books, books with additional objects such as toys 
  • books without an ISBN, unless of significant local interest 
  • self-published books, unless of significant local interest 
  • advance/uncorrected proof copies of books 
  • abridged/condensed editions of a book, e.g. Reader's Digest or Book Club 
  • foreign editions, as they may not have UK lending permissions 
  • abridged spoken word CDs 
  • DVDs, music CDs, or other audiovisual formats 
  • items other than books, unless of significant local interest 
  • unsolicited books from authors, publishers, or organisations
  • large numbers of books, e.g. personal collections, house clearances, unless of significant local interest

Library staff have the discretion to review and reject potential donations based on our criteria. 

We do not guarantee that donated books will be added to our library catalogue or provide a timeline for doing so. 

We reserve the right to move donated books to a different library or dispose of them later, as part of the general management of our collections.