Where Can I Donate My Old Books?

I have so many books that I used to love and need that now no longer are relevant to my life.

What do I do with them all?

Usually I sell what I can to the local used bookstore for boojstore create. More new books, Yum! Then I usually go down the block and donate the rest to the rest to the local library.

My local used book store is not buying back books for a few more weeks and I thought I’d better find some alternatives in which I knew my books were going to good homes.

I’m ready to get them circulating to someone who could use them now. I have novels, nonfiction tomes, how-to books, and tons of magazine back issues, like Wired. Donating books is one of the ways I give back.

So I scoured the’net and here’s some of what I found! (Now it’s time to get moving! I’ll keep you posted on what I chose to do.)

Regional Donating
Many book donation services are only regional, like:

• California: San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland: The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse will take a lot of creative things to sell at a low cost to teachers and artists, including books. Drop offs during business hours only.
• California: Los Angeles: Books For People will pick up books, Cds, DVDs, VHS, and LPs in the Los Angeles County area. Proceeds of sales go to LA inner city kids’ tutoring programs. Love it!
• New England area: A for-profit company partners with non-profits and runs a bookstore for gently used book. See if Got Books, Inc. is right for you.
• New York, upstate area: Book Donation Connection, Inc. will take gently used books and other literacy materials, especially material for children.

For the US troops overseas: Operation Paperback encourages you to ship your gently used paperback novels directly to the troops overseas.

Support A Cause

Resell your books, CDs or DVDs, and donate the proceeds to eco-organizations, mostly in the US Pacific Northwest with Eco Encore.

Donate your books to help end famine in Africa with Books for Africa. Be sure to read what they accept.

Help support literacy and education in the prisons with Books Through Bars. They also have specifics about what kinds of books they prefer.

What do you do with your gently used books? Suggestions? Resources to share! Thanks!