Donate to the Library, Friends & Foundation - Westlake Porter Public Library

In 1884, Dover Township philanthropist Leonard Porter passed away and left a will expressing the following:

"For the purpose, and in the hope of founding and establishing a public or township library that may prove a lasting benefit and blessing to the people of Dover, I give and bequest to the township of Dover, for a public library the sum of one thousand dollars."

In the spirit of Mr. Porter's original gift, we have received, over the ensuing years, many donations that have allowed us to maintain the depth and variety of materials, high level of service, and first-rate facility that the citizens of Westlake have come to expect.

There are many ways to donate and ensure the library remains an important focal point of the community, a place where people can gather to become educated, empowered, enlightened, and excited! Thank you for your interest in further supporting Westlake Porter Public Library.

General Donations

General donations are often received from people who enjoy the library and want to contribute a gift but do not have a specific purpose in mind other than the overall improvement of the library.

Each year the library selects an area of the library on which to concentrate unspecified donations. In the past contributions have been used to help fund landscaping projects, purchase new furniture, offer assistive equipment such as motorized carts, and provide audio/visual equipment for our meeting rooms.

For more information regarding general donations, contact the Director.

Leonard Porter also donated his collection of books to the library.

Donate Materials

Westlake Porter Library accepts monetary gifts for the purchase of new materials for the collection. Specific titles, general subject areas, or genres may be requested for purchase. Purchased items will have a gift plate acknowledging the donation. Items may be donated by individuals, families, organizations, or in memory of someone.

Please check with library staff before donating specific titles to ensure they are not already owned, and are appropriate for the collection or contact the Collection Development Manager.

Used items may be donated to the Friends of the Library via the Book Nook Used Book Store in the lobby of the library. Items will be sold in the Book Nook or at the annual book sale to raise money for the Friends organization which then uses the money to fund ongoing library initiatives. Please review the guidelines for acceptable materials.

The Book Nook accepts donations of books, media and other items in good condition. Items are sold in the Book Nook and at the Friends' Annual Big Book Sale to benefit the library. Please review the guidelines for acceptable materials.

Visit the Friends' page