Thank you for your interest in supporting Sewickley Public Library. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated and there are many ways to offer your financial support. Please review the list below to find the one that most appeals to you. Contributions are tax deductible and donors are recognized each year in our Annual Report published in the spring.
Make a Gift to the Annual Fund
Gifts to the Annual Fund support the annual operating budget of the library, and are the most effective way for your gift to make an immediate impact. Gifts made through the generosity of private donors help to maintain our collection, support the salaries of our dedicated librarians, provide programming and services, and keep our beautiful building running smoothly as a center of lifelong learning and community connection in the heart of Sewickley village.
How to Donate
By check:
Made payable to Sewickley Public Library
Mailed to: 500 Thorn Street, Sewickley, PA 15143
Please mark “Annual Fund” on the memo line of your check.
Donation envelopes are available at the Circulation Desk.
Become a Friend
The Friends of Sewickley Public Library is an independent 501(c)3 organization that serves as an advocacy group for the library. They create public support for the library and its programs through special events, books sales, and other initiatives with the resulting funds providing enhancements to the library’s collection, improvements to library spaces, and support for programs such as Summer Reading and Battle of the Books. Their funds help to supplement the library’s annual operating budget and fund special programs and projects. A membership to the Friends comes with many benefits. To learn more about the Friends, or to Join/Renew your membership, visit the Friends of the Sewickley Public Library page.
Buy a Ticket to a Special Event:
- Springbound: This spring art show celebrates local artists and showcases their work with a percentage of art sales supporting the Friends of the Library.
- Savoring Sewickley: Savoring Sewickley is held each October in our historic library featuring a sampling of cuisine from local restaurants. Get your tickets early for this popular event presented by the Friends of the Library. Tickets sell out early every year!
Attend a Book Sale
The Friends organize three books sales per year at the library. All proceeds benefit the Sewickley Public Library of the Quaker Valley School District to support efforts to enhance library programs, services, and special projects.
Donate Items for the Friends Book Sale
The Friends of the Sewickley Public Library gladly accept material donations of new or gently used books, DVD/Blu-ray movies, and music CDs and audiobooks. While the Friends greatly appreciate these material donations, they cannot sell everything.
They CANNOT accept:
- items that are damaged in any way (including books that have been written in)
- items that have any evidence of mold, mildew, smoke or other odors, dirt, dust, pet hair, water damage
- books older than five years in these categories: medicine, health, finance, technology, travel or those containing scientific data that is outdated.
- encyclopedias or textbooks
- books that were from of another library’s collection
- National Geographic magazines or other magazines
- VHS or music cassette tapes
Although we would love to make donation times more accessible, our after-hours book drop cannot handle the generous amount of items that are donated. We ask that all donations be brought to the Circulation Desk in the main lobby of the library during regular operating hours. Receipts for donations are available upon request. Please call the library if you have questions about how to donate materials.
Purchase a Gift Book
With a gift of $25 or more, honor or celebrate a loved one or friend with an inscribed bookplate in a new book in our collection. This is a great way to celebrate a birthday, graduation, anniversary or retirement, or to create a memorial for a loved one. Make a Gift Book Donation
Leave a Legacy Gift
Creating a legacy bequest by including Sewickley Public Library in your will or estate plan touches countless lives with the gift of literacy and education. Gifts may be designated as unrestricted – giving the library the most flexibility –or restricted; that is, designated for a specific purpose. If you have not already done so, please consider putting Sewickley Public Library in your will or revocable trust.
If you have already included the library in a bequest provision, please notify us so that we can ensure that your wishes are fulfilled. Your notification will be treated confidentially.
For more information, click here: Legacy Gift.
Designate Your United Way Contribution to SPL
Are you participating in a United Way campaign through your employer? Did you know that you can direct a portion of your annual pledge to Sewickley Public Library? When filling out your donation form, Choose Sewickley Public Library as your preferred agency. Our agency code number is 887032.
Qualified Distributions from your IRA
If you are 70 ½ or older, you can direct all or a portion of your annual required distribution from your IRA be donated directly to Sewickley Public Library. You’ll need to provide the library’s tax ID: 23-2928397 to your plan’s administrator.
Gifts of Stock
Sewickley Public Library accepts gifts through security or wire transfer. Please contact Michelle Cleary, Head of Development, at 412-741-6920 x216 or clearym@sewickleylibrary.org to notify the library of your gift and to receive specific instructions and account numbers to begin the transfer process.