Would You Consider Making A Donation?

I know...you just hate being approached by people asking for a donation. I'm sorry; I'm going to do it anyway.
I'm talking about donating a book, but not just any book. I'm talking about that best seller you bought because you just couldn't wait to read it. It's now considered "gently used," even though it was brand new when you bought it. (Like those used cars, bought brand new and now called "pre-owned.")
When you're through with that pre-owned best seller, would you consider donating it to the library?
Our book budget, like so many libraries, has been reduced big time because of our tough economic times. That makes it difficult for us to get enough copies of much-sought-after titles like Glenn Beck's Common Sense, the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, and many of the James Patterson books.
Of course, we always welcome donations of gently used books in good condition. But you'd be surprised at what sometimes comes to the library as donations: things like dilapidated boxes full of mildewed, page-torn, dirty books, along with mouse pills and baby roaches. These books we have to throw in the dumpster.
And you need to remember, if you don't want that book on your shelf, why would someone else want it on theirs? No one wants stinky, moldy, torn, ragged books, including technological or text books that may be so out of date they can't be used.
Books that we cannot use in our collections are often placed on our "Sale Books" shelves and the money raised goes right back into purchasing new books. Books that don't sell are often donated to new libraries, charitable organizations, hospitals, etc. We make sure they are gently used and clean before we send them off.
So, we're wondering if you would consider making a donation. I've donated quite a few in my day...new ones right from the bookseller. It's made me proud to walk the stacks and see those books, knowing that I've contributed not only to that reader who can't buy books, but to my community of readers and to my favorite library.
We'd love to have your pre-owned, one-time-owner, gently used brand new books with publishing dates of 2008 to 2010.
Would you consider making a donation?