The Library of Avalon will consider accepting as a donation absolutely anything. Money is always good; books are even better, but we are quite prepared to accept for disposal on the best possible terms any item at all, provided that it is legal.


Donate books

Books are our life and we treasure them above other things. Though we love all books, and will always rescue any book from being thrown away, our small space, our specific remit and the presence nearby of a competent County Library oblige us to be selective in the books which we retain, curate and display. Books donated to the Library fall into the following groups and are treated accordingly:

Antiques, which are available for reference but which in some cases are kept off-site in secure storage and must be requested in advance;

Rare books, available for reference but kept on high shelves or in locked cases;

Oversize books, most of which are available for borrowing and which are kept on special large shelves;

Reference books, which are shelved together with others but which may not be borrowed;

Childrens' books, which are housed separately in low shelves;

All other relevant books, shelved in numbered cases or shelf sets and available for borrowing.

Out-of-catalogue books, which are those not falling within the Library's remit, and which are either exchanged through the book trade or, if unsuitable for this, donated to book-selling charities.

All books displayed carry a book-plate which records the name of the donor (as they wish it to appear) and the date of the donation.


Donate money

The Library has a minimal income and always greatly appreciates any financial donation. Collecting boxes are a prominent feature of our interior design. We would prefer not to solicit donations from those unable to benefit from the Library's operations, but nonetheless we are sometimes humbled by the generosity of complete strangers. With this and our bills in mind, we provide the following information.

Bankers: Messrs. Lloyds TSB, Glastonbury branch, sort code 30-98-28, account number 037 5388.

Cheques may be made payable to 'The Library of Avalon' and sent to our address.

We provide a printable form for standing orders.

Unfortunately we cannot at present provide Direct Debit or PayPal services because these appear to be either too expensive, or otherwise unsuitable, for small charities.


Donate other things

We are always grateful for donations of any kind. If we are given something which we cannot use, we will dispose of it on the best possible terms.

We are particularly in need of bookcases. Domestic ('MFI' or 'Argos' type) cases, though usually lightly built, are often acceptable because we fit them with steel reinforcements for library use. Strong shelves made of good timber, thick plywood or, as a minimum, heavy chipboard are always needed, as are components of any kind for the widely-used 'Spur' type commercial shelving system.

We are developing a collection of multimedia resources and would be grateful for any relevant donations: audio, video or computer materials appropriate to our esoteric remit, and reliably working equipment for handling these materials.

We would urge anyone considering disposing of safe and working commercial or light-industrial (single-phase) lighting equipment, preferably either of low-energy type or capable of conversion thereunto, to contact us; we would hope to be able to arrange its prompt collection from their premises.