New Bern-Craven County
Public Library

a member of the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library System


Support the Library

The Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library support library programs and services through the proceeds of their twice yearly book-sales. Membership applications are available at the library's main desk.

Donating Used Books and Other Materials

Donations, other than items published in 2020 or 2021, are NOT being accepted at this time due to lack of storage space for the Friends of the Library Book Sale.

The library accepts donations of recent books, recorded books, CDs, and DVDs. Donations should be clean and in good condition. We do not accept donations of old news magazines, textbooks, Readers’ Digest condensed books or encyclopedias. In addition we are unable to accept books that have torn or missing pages, damaged spines, musty smells, stains, or visible mildew.

All donations are accepted without condition, and immediately become the property of the library. They cannot be returned. Some donations will be added to the collection. The same criteria for inclusion in the library’s collection apply to gifts as to purchased materials. The rest will be sold in our book sale. Donations added to the collection may be subsequently withdrawn when they are worn or when their content is no longer current.

The library accepts donations between the hours of 9:00am and 5:30pm, Monday through Saturday. Please do not bring more items than you can carry into the library. If you need a receipt for tax purposes, the library will provide one describing the number and type of donated material; however, we cannot assign a dollar value to your donation.

Memorial/Honor Books

The Memorial/Honor Book program provides an opportunity to remember loved ones in a special way. A book or other material for the library's collection may be purchased for a donation starting at $25.00. The donor may suggest a topic of special interest for the book or allow the library staff to select a title. A bookplate with the name of the honored person and the name of the donor is displayed in the book as a permanent remembrance. A memorial card will be sent to anyone you wish to be notified of your gift.

Special events, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations may be celebrated by adding a book or other item to the library's collection.

Donations may be made by visiting the library or by completing the attached form 

Sponsor a Book

Are you anxious to read the latest Debbie Macomber or Dan Brown novel but know it will just gather dust on your bookcase when you are finished? Consider supporting the library's Sponsor a Book program. The Library supplies a list of suggested titles for potential donors. Sponsors select the title they would like to donate. Most titles are available for a $25 donation or $35 for a large print version. Each sponsor will have his/her name placed on a bookplate inside the donated book. Once the sponsor has read the book, it is available for borrowing by any library patron.

Designated Gifts

You may wish to make a donation or memorial contribution to support a particular department, service, portion of the collection or need of the library. Your gift, for example, can be directed to pay for a program or speaker, purchase large print materials or buy supplies and materials for the children's Summer Reading Program.

The New Bern-Craven County Public Library Development Fund, Incorporated

This non-profit organization was established in 1987 to enhance the lives of area residents through improving, expanding, and promoting educational facilities. Donations to the fund provided for the land acquisition, building renovation and expansion of the library in 1992. Your tax-deductible donation to this fund will "build a foundation for growth" to expand library resources for residents in and around New Bern and Craven County. Corporate Matching Gifts and bequests are also accepted