Support the Library
As a local nonprofit, the Westfield Athenaeum depends greatly on donations to offer new products and services to our patrons! We have a couple of ways that you can help if you are interested – learn more below!
Westfield Athenaeum General Fund
Monies raised for the General Fund support the programs, resources and services of the Athenaeum (concerts, speakers, children & teen programs) which sustain our community. We still need your generosity! As a non-profit organization, the Athenaeum is grateful for substantial city and state support, but that does not cover our operating costs. We must make up the difference in fundraising and grant writing.
We welcome your gifts!
We gratefully accept gifts of cash, stocks, bonds or annuities. The Westfield Athenaeum is a non-profit institution, so your gift is tax deductible. If you are interested in giving, you can click through to our PayPal, speak to a staff member at the Circulation or Reference Desks, or mail or drop off a check using our Donation Form to:
Westfield Athenaeum
6 Elm Street
Westfield, MA 01085
Please note if you prefer your donation to support a specific fund. Non-specified donations will be used for the General Funds.
Gifts of books or materials must be approved before being dropped off. Items not added to the collection are recycled or sold at a book sale.
Donating in Honor
If you are donating in memory of someone we ask that you complete the Memorial Donation Request Form.
If the gift is to be used to purchase library materials, the Director will try to accommodate the donor’s subject or title preference. The Library will identify memorial or “in honor” gifts with a bookplate naming the person or organization in whose memory or honor the item is given. You may also establish a permanent named fund and charitable Trusts can be tailored to meet individual needs.
Donating Books or Materials to the Library
The Athenaeum will receive donations of material as space allows. Our guidelines for donating materials are:
- We only accept donations at the Adult Circulation Desk during library hours. Please do not leave donations outside when the library is closed, and please do not put them in the library returns drop box.
- We will accept donations of gently used books, CDs, DVDs and jigsaw puzzles. All items should be intended for adults, not for children or teens.
- Donations are limited to one bag or box at a time.
We cannot accept donations of the following:
- Textbooks or encyclopedias
- Magazines
- Cassette or VHS tapes, LP records, games, or toys
- Children’s books
- Musty, moldy, dirty, or damp items. Items in this condition are not safe for the library or your home. Just throw them away!
If you have a larger number of items or things that we can’t take, you might consider donating them to the Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Center, 223 E Main St, Westfield.
For more information about the materials we add to our collection or accept for donations, please see our Collection Development Policy on our policies page. If you’re looking for information on historical items, please visit our archives page.
Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum
The Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum was formed in 1996 to support the programs and services of the Westfield Athenaeum through fundraising and volunteerism, and to raise the public awareness of the Athenaeum within the local community. Learn more about the Friends.
Since 1996, the Friends have raised and donated more than $200,000, providing critical support for popular programs which the Athenaeum would otherwise not be able to offer. In recent years, the Friends have supported these programs and services, which have attracted hundreds of participants:
- Our Museum Pass Program
- Wowbrary newsletter
- Teen paint afternoons
- “Take and Make” crafts for children and teens
- Ukulele lessons
- Youth and adult summer reading programs
- Spanish language classes
- American Sign Language classes
- Movie series
Please note: The Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum is a 501(c)3 organization independent from the Westfield Athenaeum. Donations made to The Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum are managed separately and disbursed to the Athenaeum at their discretion for programs and services. Click here if you want to donate directly to the Westfield Athenaeum.