Washington State Courts - State Law Library

State Law Library Donations Policy

Librarians understand the deep affection that many people have for books. Whether you are considering donating law books that have supported you through years of law school and legal practice, or offering the tomes that lined the walls of a dear relative who has passed away, you want to find a proper home for them.

In the past few years, the Washington State Law Library has been forced to accommodate to the reductions in our budget by focusing our physical collection and reducing our overall footprint. Due to this if the books donated to us do not fit within our collection development plans we will not be able to accept them. There are links at the bottom of this page to other institutions which may be interested in those law books we cannot add to our collection.

How to Donate

Email us a list of the titles, authors and publishing dates of the books you wish to donate. If they are in a series, let us know which years or volumes you have available along with the title from the title page. The Law Librarian or designee will make the final decision to accept or not accept the gift. If accepted, the books become the property of the law library. As with any other materials in the law library's collection they may be given away, surplused or discarded at the law library's discretion and without notification to the original donor.

We cannot assign a monetary value to the material, or provide an appraisal. We can offer a receipt for the materials received. If you require an independent appraisal we can help you find a reputable appraiser to provide this service.