Donations of books and collections

We are grateful for past donations over the years, however, as of January 2023 we can no longer receive donations of books and book collections at ALC Library.

This is not a decision made lightly and is not a reflection on the intent of the person donating, nor of the quality of books donated.

Some, but not all, of the reasons are:

• We are overstocked with donated books that are difficult to move, as fewer and fewer library patrons, students and visitors are buying them or collecting them.
• Pastoral and lay students tend to not use older books as much as previously due to being able to access new studies, updated books and e-resources.
• Our physical storage at ALC Library for donations is at capacity and we do not have the room to receive more items.
• Library staff have less available work time to sift through donations, as it is a time-consuming process to check books against our collection and determine where they go.

If anyone would like to donate books, some options include:

• Oxfam bookshop (Adelaide) Hutt Street
• Your local church where there may be members interested in Christian books (check with your pastor or office staff)
• Other charitable stores that receive books (you will need to check your local area)

Thank you for your understanding.

Library Staff
ALC Library