How a Book Gets Into Our Library
November 15, 2025
Members of the Library Subcommittee: Front row (left to right): Patti Ewoldt, Nancy Tarpley, Diane Van Naerssen, Deborah Diehl; back row (left to right): Ralph Berry, Joan Pursley, Lorraine Wilson, Linda Bono, Fred Van Naerssen; not pictured: Sondra Clifton, Elaine Kushmaul (photo by Dianna Lucas)
By Joan Muyskens Pursley
Historically, all books, audiobooks, movies, puzzles, and magazines were donations from Robson Ranch residents. However, for the past five years, Friends of the Library (FOL) has supplemented residents’ donations. At the time of this writing, there were 3,626 accessioned items in our collections, plus about 600 (not accessioned) paperback books.
Among the accessioned items are 335 puzzles, 1,493 hardback fiction books (this includes 191 large print books), and 1,322 nonfiction books. Then there are 117 books written by Robson residents—some fiction, others nonfiction—plus audiobooks and about 300 movies on DVD.
In addition to the FOL purchases, typically between 1,200 and 1,500 books are donated annually by residents. If you have noticed how little open shelf space exists, it is clear that not all donations can be added to the collection. (For safety reasons, the top wall unit shelves are not used.) Not only is there little shelf space to spare, but at the time of this writing, 526 accessioned items were checked out! Of course, that number fluctuates, but around 500 are probably out at all times. We do not have a count on the number of paperbacks currently checked out, but several hundred is a reasonable estimate.
Because the library is a facility, all items donated to it become the property of the Homeowners Association and will not be returned. As noted on the library’s website www.RobsonLibrary.org, the library has a 10-item donation limit and accepts only hardback fiction published within the last three years and nonfiction books published within the last five years. There is no restriction on publication dates for paperback fiction.
All hardback donations are evaluated as:
• Condition: Books must be clean with bindings and covers intact;
• Age of material, as noted above;
• Relation to existing collection, i.e., does not duplicate current materials and fits within the library’s subject categories;
• Potential user appeal, as indicated by survey of residents’ preferences; and
• Attention by critics and reviewers.
If your books do not fit the above criteria, go to the library’s website for a list of places that will take them.
So, what happens when there is no space for donations that meet the above criteria? Then the Collections Committee (chaired by two retired librarians and with four additional members of the Library Subcommittee) reviews the check-out history of accessioned books and pulls those that have been checked out only a few times over the past three years or not at all over the past two years. The committee also pulls books that are in poor condition. These books are sold, and the monies are used for library materials.
The Robson Library, located in the CATC building, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Volunteers are available to help patrons Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You need a PDK phone app (free) or card ($5), available at the HOA office, to enter/exit the library.
Historically, all books, audiobooks, movies, puzzles, and magazines were donations from Robson Ranch residents. However, for the past five years, Friends of the Library (FOL) has supplemented residents’ donations. At the time of this writing, there were 3,626 accessioned items in our collections, plus about 600 (not accessioned) paperback books.
Among the accessioned items are 335 puzzles, 1,493 hardback fiction books (this includes 191 large print books), and 1,322 nonfiction books. Then there are 117 books written by Robson residents—some fiction, others nonfiction—plus audiobooks and about 300 movies on DVD.
In addition to the FOL purchases, typically between 1,200 and 1,500 books are donated annually by residents. If you have noticed how little open shelf space exists, it is clear that not all donations can be added to the collection. (For safety reasons, the top wall unit shelves are not used.) Not only is there little shelf space to spare, but at the time of this writing, 526 accessioned items were checked out! Of course, that number fluctuates, but around 500 are probably out at all times. We do not have a count on the number of paperbacks currently checked out, but several hundred is a reasonable estimate.
Because the library is a facility, all items donated to it become the property of the Homeowners Association and will not be returned. As noted on the library’s website www.RobsonLibrary.org, the library has a 10-item donation limit and accepts only hardback fiction published within the last three years and nonfiction books published within the last five years. There is no restriction on publication dates for paperback fiction.
All hardback donations are evaluated as:
• Condition: Books must be clean with bindings and covers intact;
• Age of material, as noted above;
• Relation to existing collection, i.e., does not duplicate current materials and fits within the library’s subject categories;
• Potential user appeal, as indicated by survey of residents’ preferences; and
• Attention by critics and reviewers.
If your books do not fit the above criteria, go to the library’s website for a list of places that will take them.
So, what happens when there is no space for donations that meet the above criteria? Then the Collections Committee (chaired by two retired librarians and with four additional members of the Library Subcommittee) reviews the check-out history of accessioned books and pulls those that have been checked out only a few times over the past three years or not at all over the past two years. The committee also pulls books that are in poor condition. These books are sold, and the monies are used for library materials.
The Robson Library, located in the CATC building, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Volunteers are available to help patrons Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You need a PDK phone app (free) or card ($5), available at the HOA office, to enter/exit the library.