Get involved with the Library
Book Donations
New or used books and other reading materials that are plant and garden-related are always welcome. Donations that do not fit into our collections or are duplicate items in worse condition than what the Library already has in its collection are sold at the Library’s in-house and online book sales to raise funds for new purchases. Donations that fit the Library’s collection policy but are not already part of the Library collection or are in better condition than the duplicate copy on the shelves are integrated into the Library.
If you like to help expand our collections with new materials, please check our Wish List. We also have a special Children’s Wish List of titles we need the most to support our Bookworms Story Time. Just purchase the items through the wish list and they will be sent to the Library.
Magazine Subscriptions
We have subscriptions to 110 current periodical titles on subjects that include gardening, horticulture, botany, California native plant life, environmental issues, and agriculture. As a donation, you could renew a subscription or solicit magazine subscription for theLibrary. Contact Susan Eubank.
Historical Garden Photos
We are gathering pictures of historical Southern California gardens. If you own any such photographs, and would like to donate them, a quality copy of the print, a digital surrogate, or the actual print itself would be wonderful additions to our historic photograph gallery. We are willing to accept photographs, slides, and any form of visual or digital media. If you are interested in donating your images please contact Susan Eubank.
Library Pledges
In order to better serve the Los Angeles area community, there are several projects of various kinds of Library materials in the Arboretum Library that need work to bring them into a digital format with cataloging. Examples are the William Aplin slide collection, institutional archives, and even digitizing a television program the Arboretum produced in the 1960s. All of these projects would bring southern California plant and garden-related history to a broader audience.
If you, your family, your friends, or your neighbors are interested in donating or participating in a botanical- or garden-related project it will result in easier access to the hidden historical information available at the Arboretum Library. If you have experience fundraising for a non-profit organization and would like to donate your time or you would like to make a monetary pledge to the Library please contact Susan Eubank.
Volunteering at the Library
There are a number of things you can do while volunteering at the Library, such as cover and shelve books, price books for sale, various ways to fund raise or help in many ways to improve the Library’s presence in the digital sphere. Volunteer times are flexible throughout the week. To learn more about volunteering, contact librarian Susan Eubank to learn more about how you can help.
