Membership
What do I get for joining?
Early access to book sales, our newsletter, and a say in what the Friends do, plus the knowledge that your dues fund library programs directly. Levels and pricing are on the join page.
Is my membership tax-deductible?
Yes. We’re a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 58-1507922), and memberships and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
How do I renew?
Log in to your member account, or just rejoin from the join page. We’ll match it to your record.
Book Sales & Book Donations
When is the next book sale?
Sales are listed on our events page. Members hear first and get early access.
Can I donate books?
Usually, yes. Gently used books are what stock our sales. Condition matters more than age: if you’d hand it to a friend, we probably want it. For large donations (more than a couple of boxes), please contact us first so we can plan for it.
What happens to books that don’t sell?
We work to find every donated book a next stop rather than a landfill: future sales, community partners, and recycling as the last resort.
Donations
Where does my money actually go?
To the library: Summer Reading, children’s and adult programs, equipment, and staff appreciation. Our books are open. See the financials page for every year since 2014.
Can my employer match my gift?
Many employers match donations to 501(c)(3) organizations. Give them our legal name (Friends of the Orange County Public Library, Inc.) and EIN 58-1507922.
Can I give in someone’s honor or memory?
Yes. The donate page takes dedications, and our Name a Spot campaign exists for exactly this kind of gift.
Volunteering
How do I start volunteering?
Pick a shift on the volunteer page. Book sales are the easiest way in, and no experience is needed for anything we do.
How much time does it take?
As much as you want to give. Two hours at a book sale helps; so does joining a committee or the board. There’s no minimum.
The Friends vs. the Library
Are you the library?
No. We’re an independent nonprofit that supports the library. For library cards, holds, fines, hours, or anything about your account, contact the Orange County Public Library directly.
Why does the library need a Friends group?
Public funding covers the essentials; the Friends fund the extras that make the library more than essential. The library funding page shows how the pieces fit together.
Name a Spot
What does it mean to “name” a spot?
It works like university naming rights, only much less consequential. You make the minimum gift and choose a ceremonial name for a real library object, place, or oddly specific phenomenon. The name appears on this website and on your certificate. It does not appear on the object itself.
Can I name it after myself?
Certainly. You may also honor another person, family, group, pet, literary character, or reasonably behaved inside joke.
Is the inscription the same as the ceremonial name?
No. The ceremonial name is the name you bestow on the spot. The optional inscription is a short dedication, explanation, or joke displayed beneath it.
Will there be a plaque?
No. The naming exists on this website and on your certificate. The library remains gloriously unplaque-filled.
Can a named spot be renamed?
No. Each spot receives one ceremonial name. Additional gifts are welcome, but the naming rights remain settled.
