Library donation drop box out of commission after being struck by school bus

The Friends of the Library book drop outside Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids will be out of commission for the forseeable future after being struck by a school bus Saturday.

Amber Mussman, public information officer for the Cedar Rapids Public Library, said there's no estimate when the drop box might be repaired. The box receives materials for donation to the Friends of the Library's annual book sale fundraiser.

The drop box for returning library materials was not affected in Saturday's incident, but donors are being asked not to put donations into the library's drop box.

“It takes quite a bit of staff time (to sort through the materials),” Mussman said, “so we hope people don't do that.”

Also, non-library materials placed in the library drop box have to be held for a period of time. Mussman said library staffers can't assume that such materials were intended for donation. Many people drop their own books into the library's drop box accidentally, she said, and call later asking to reclaim the items.

Donations can still be dropped off at the library during normal operating hours, Mussman said. Pickup arrangements are also possible for larger-scale donations.

For more information, contact the Friends of the Library at crfriends@gmail.com, or call the library at 398-5123.