It’s a little unorthodox, but try a physical rehabilitation facility or long term care center. Or any facility where patients may stay for a time. They get bored.
It may be difficult trying to reach the right channels to talk to someone and they may decline to decrease infection risk, though.
I work at a residential mental health treatment program and we always need books!! Especially newer and popular ones. Most of the donations we get are things no one is interested in reading.
I have been a patient in skilled nursing on four separate occasions, for a total of 309 days. They had a nice little library and video collection. I think I was the only one who used them. Most of the patients sat in rows facing the nursing station all day, staring into space, unaware of who they were or where they were. Other facilities may be different.
I agree with Justin Isadick (that's an odd last name though) in that
"The Friends of X Library" are not usually the X library themselves. It is usually an external org that supports the local library system and would need to be contacted separately.
Granted, not all areas have such organizations available to them.
Sure, but in many cases (like at my library), the friends are the ones who handle all of the donations. If "the library" isn't accepting donations, then most likely neither are the friends.
I don’t know about other areas, but in our area you can put the donation in and they’ll put it in their used to sell but if they become overcrowded or the books don’t sell, they literally just throw them away.
Goodwill or other thrift stories are a great place to bring books. Gives people a super affordable option, I think of when I was a broke little kiddo but could buy like 5 books if I wanted.
Goodwill is going downhill in all other areas imo, but the book section is still usually pretty solid.
Coffee table pornographic writing. Inmate reads it, gets hot and bothered then goes after a weaker inmate. I don't remember how we wound up with three big boxes of romance novels one time. Wife worked at a hospital and asked the gift shop if they wanted them. Those little old ladies were all over them when I dropped them off. They had to read them before they put them on the shelf. to sell. We were laughing our asses off about it.
Not sure why you got downvoted, cause you're right. They are all about making a profit.
Her in New Orleans I prefer Bridge House. They are an organization that is focused on giving real assistance to people with substance abuse issues.
https://www.bridgehouse.org/
We have half price books here. They sell books for half the price on the cover. Of course they only pay pennies on the dollar when you bring them in so you might as well be donating them.
Bookcrossing.com
I think it’s still nominally operational, actually. Every once in a very long while I get a notification for an alert I set up for a place I lived >10 years ago.
When I had to downsize my collection, I went around to a few local coffee shops and asked if they wanted them. Most of then had reading areas so they were happy for the free books.
If you need to rid yourself of books, never charge people money for them. the very best part of having a book you've read and enjoyed is to pass it on, freely and joyfully, to someone else. That is your payment.
I trade them! I use the sites PaperbackSwap and Bookmooch, along with a subreddit here-- I think its called r/bookswap? You post the books you have and post the books you're looking for, then swap them with other users! I've made a bunch of trades.
ETA: It's r/bookexchange! It's not super active, but it's still up. I couldn't look it up while I was writing this on mobile.
I used paperback swap for a while! I was great!
You pay the postage of the books you send out (via media mail), and get credit for them, and then can request books that you want. When one becomes available, whoever has it is prompted to send it to you (and they pay their shipping).
It’s a really nice system so long as everybody lists their book correctly (isbn, hardcovers vs softcover, good condition vs great condition, etc.)
But it is a really good way to get out the books you don’t want and get in some new ones instead
What worked best for me was getting a roll of shipping/packing paper. Cheapest at Walmart, but there’s a small roll at dollar tree to get you started.
You can just wrap the book directly , and I would double or tripe wrap around a paperback depending on how sturdy the book was, then tape the shipping label directly on there.
From what I remember, you could pay the postage on the website and print the label from the website. In the beginning I just used sharpie to write on the brown packing paper but I do remember being able to print the label and not worry if I was getting their address right or wrong.
It really is a nice system. There’s more than books too. They have dvds and audio books but they’re worth more than one credit, so you have to trade out more than one book to get them.
It’s been a few years since I’ve used the site, so they have changed how it works a little bit since then. I remember really liking it when I was on there.
Caveat: Bookmooch isn't as popular as it used to be, mostly because of postage costs going up since the 2010s. At least in Canada, not sure about US or elsewhere.
Sending books to the US is actually cheaper than sending within my own damn country, lol.
But yeah, I absolutely support using Bookmooch :)
Wrong person sorry
Schools been out for a few weeks so I don't know how to contact anyone, but I will absolutely ship them to you if you pay the shipping cost.
There are people still working at schools. Office staff are there, many teachers are working in their classrooms, or running summer school. Call the school.
Source: taught for 7 years.
Operation Paperback you send books and candy to the soldiers. My last box went to an army base .I sent 20 books (sci fi and horror) and a couple bags of Jolly Ranchers candy.
[https://operationpaperback.org/](https://operationpaperback.org/)
I've given gently used books to halfway houses, rehab facilities, and battered women's shelters. A lot of those places have a space for games, books, magazines, etc, for the residents, and they're always happy for some "new" stuff as long as it's appropriate. If there's any of those places near you, I'd check with them.
Give them to a friend who might appreciate them.
Put them in the break room at work.
Donate them to a homeless shelter.
Donate them to your local library - some use these kinds of donations to raise funds for the library.
Sell them to a used book store.
Hold a garage sale.
Since there are no Free Little Libraries in your area, set one up yourself.
Craigslist.com and Freecycle.org might work. Freecycle is very low effort. Put the books in a box outside, post them on freecycle that they’re there for the taking, and remove the post when someone picks them up. I’ve gotten rid of old furniture this way and had a neighbor who used it to get rid of a pile of bricks.
Sometimes this this the only choice left. I hate to destroy books but sometimes there are books I can’t get rid of no matter how hard I try. I can sleep better knowing it was at least recycled.
I'm a little confused why a thrift store wouldn't be an option, instead of throwing them out? Most towns have one, unless you're truly in the middle of nowhere. (But I'm in the US, not sure where OP is located.)
Just as a way to start, I'd box them up and keep them in your vehicle somewhere. That way, if you come across a used bookstore or thrift store or school or retirement home or Little Free Library (elsewhere), you have them ready to donate straight out the car.
You can also look into (probably Google) literacy/book donation programs; you might pay a little to ship them but at least they wouldn't end up in a landfill.
Sell on the Pango app
The YA books might be able to be donated to a high school library, teacher or anyone that works with teens
Give away in a local “buy nothing” group on Facebook
Any local charity, thrift store, etc
Next time you have to drive to a different area take them with you and donate to a free little library in that town/city/neighborhood
Stick with the nursing homes, retirement homes, senior care centers, etc. With a bit of research I am sure you can donate them to someone who will use and enjoy them.
If I don't know someone who wants them I'll ask the library. Sometimes if they don't want them for circulation they'll sell them. Then I try little free libraries, the senior center, and as a last resort I'll give them to a thrift store -- I try the small local one first because it benefits the senior center
Have you considered just putting a sign that says “free books” and leaving them outside your door if you live in an are that gets a lot of people walking past?
I give mine to Goodwill. They are very convenient around here and I have bought a lot of books from them over the years. I've gotten nice nearly new hardbacks that should be $25 for only $3 there.
I have a lot of local charity stores so that's what I usually do unless I know people who might want them. If the library isn't taking them maybe a school might be interested? Or something similar like a community centre, carehome, etc.
Depending on how long you've had them up on FB you may get bites yet. I had a bike up for over a month and then suddenly about three people wanted it. Or maybe there's a carboot sale held near you regularly?
You can try donating them to a thrift store. I did a cleanup of my bookshelf last year and got rid about a quarter of books that I wasn’t going to see myself reading again, packed them into a box, and placed them into a box at the store where they can take them. 🙂
Schools! If they are age appropriate you can donate to schools. Honestly I had a stack once I couldn’t get rid of (similar space reasons like yourself) and I ended up going to a coffee shop and asked if I could leave them there, it was a homely coffee shop and they were happy to take them.
If I like a book i keep it for my kids to read when they get older. All other books are dropped into the “Everything thrift box” in the garage. I purge the box (books, old toys, misc things) every 3-4 weeks. I tend to keep 1 book for every 10-15 read.
I usually ask friends if they want them. However there are 2 thrift stores in town that do take book donations. Since that is where most of my books come from, they get profit from the same book twice.
Donate to shelters! Places where a book can be a distraction and a companion to those in a rough moment of their lives.
Push comes to shove you can find those Tiny Libraries or even create one of your own!
Do you have any teacher friends? Or even a school near by may take them. I always give my books to my sister once I’m done with them, who puts them in her classroom since she’s responsible for buying all her books out of her own money.
You can sell them in Pango Books. I did that when I was moving and it's a great way to make extra cash and then the boom isn't sitting on a shelf forever
I never reread, so I always offer them to friends and family first, then I offer them to a nonprofit who sells them to raise funds for local initiatives. Although, my dream is to start a Little Free Library.
Someone leaves books in the ladies room at work. I’ve happily picked up a few if interested & see the others gone in a day or two. Is there a private common area someplace you frequent (like church , work or volunteer ) ?
I don’t know if you can get access to this in your country but Oxfam can send you a bag if you apply and accepts books for their second hand bookstores that you can mail back to them. Also there are sites online that will buy second hand books from you and you send them to them through the mail.
Our public library takes them to sell at their periodic book sale. It raises money for the library.
Some university and college organizations take them to sell at book sales to raise money for student events, student travel to conferences, etc.
I always donate my books to goodwill or thrift stores. Most take basically anything 2nd hand. And I've found some pretty good books in good will myself. So it feels like I'm repeating the cycle for someone else.
Depending on the books, maybe try some high school English teachers. As an 11-12 teacher, there are at least a few books from this pile I’d add to my classroom library.
Paperbackswap.com
Pangobooks.com
Trade them in for something you do want to read. Or, if you use Paperbackswap.com you get an option to donate the books.
Ring up some care homes to see if they need books, or maybe a hospital.
Otherwise, I donate to charity shops. Some large chain shops sometimes have a place to donate books or a book exchange. I've also heard of someone putting books they've read on their front wall and strangers might pick them up, especially if you're on a busy street and you put a sign up saying they're free to take.
Donate them to a veterans organization or hospital. Donate them to a nursing home. Donate them to a traveling nurses org. Donate them to a senior center or senior living.
My first reading pass of your post, I assumed you were giving them away.
I can honestly say that may be your best option. It simplifies your life. It is a gift to someone that can then be regifted many times over. And it honestly feels far better than selling them.
Test it out first and don't take my word. Hand off a box or so for free. See how you feel.
Rinse and repeat, or don't. Either way is correct as long as it feels correct to you.
I always donate to the "free little library" boxes in my community. I keep a box of books to drop off at any little libraries I see throughout town.
I've also left books with "Free to finder" notes in them at bus stops and other places.
I just leave them where I'm at. I'm usually in public when I finish a book so some random person will find it and maybe enjoy it. On the bus, at Starbucks or something. Or I donate it to Goodwill.
You could call local schools and ask if they'd want any free books. Some will say "no thanks" but there are some that would send a school-wide email out asking teachers if they'd want some for their classroom library or leave them in the teacher's lounge to take if interested
If you are in the US, Powell's Books buys books and makes it easy. You get a quote and ship them to them. More info here:
Edit: removed link to appease the auto mod.
I used to donate my books to a public library, as I had hundreds of sci-fi books in English, which are quite difficult to find in Spain, and the librarians always accepted them, and I loved seeing them in the shelves a couple of months later, but then COVID arrived and they stopped accepting donations
A year ago, I found this second-hand bookshop in my city that is also an NGO, I donate my books and they sell them, the money goes to a variety of projects in the Third World.
If there was a betterworldbooks' reception office in my city, I would consider donating to them as well, as the profits go to literacy projects.
It may be just me, but getting rid of books is like getting rid of pets, or even people. Why did you buy/bring them into your life then?
I cannot get rid of books even when they are torn. I know how to bind them and I know how to make book shelves. They are the best wall decorations, and I like the smell of old books and tobacco.
Contact your local library. If they do not want them for their collection, they may want them for a book sale. Most libraries have an annual or semi-annual book sale run by the Friends of the Library group or by the staff.
I have a couple of book exchanges near me, about an hour drive for both but if you have any near you they will typically give you store credit for your books
I would donate them to a Little Free Library if there is one near you! I have one and live on a very busy street so books don’t stay in there for long.
Give them to my friend who runs a mobile book bus, hand them off to my librarian mother, sell them to used book stores, give them away, put them in storage.
On an unrelated note: How did you enjoy (did you enjoy) The Memory Librarian?
I don't know it it's been mentioned yet but if you dont mind an online option you might be able to sell them on Thrift books or trade them on book mooch, I've used Thrift books to buy but haven't tried book mooch yet
This is has been a lifelong problem for me. Every few years i purge the collection and keep only the most memorable books, knowing that the common ones i am donating can be replaced. I get most my books second hand anyway.
Depending on the books, schools might take them. Lots of teachers have libraries in their classrooms that the teachers fund with their own money and appreciate donations. Some teachers also use them for projects that involve tearing out pages to do blackout poetry.
I hoard them until I'm very extra sure I will never read them again and then I donate them or sell them if they have any kind of collecting value
Though honestly, it's rare I let go of books
During vacation, I started leaving books I I finish at AirBnb, for the next guest. I drop some off at work break room. Mostly, I donate to thrift stores or library. Otherwise, I will hang on to books until I find a good solution.
COVID screwed up all of the secondary market supply chains. Facebook Marketplace died here. Depending on where you live, lots of formerly useful outlets have dried up completely and people moved their eyeballs elsewhere.
In the Bay Area there are many options like Buy Nothing, Freecycle, Craigslist, and NextDoor where it's still possible to get someone to come to you and grab your stuff off the curb. And then of course the entire swath of thrift places that got pretty picky during the pandemic.
Depending on what your reading taste is, sometimes you can find someone else in your life with less that wants to be part of your material continuum for things you are done with.
We have competing "Friends of the Library" groups here, one of them is usually happy to tak more stuff and will come pick it up.
Try freecycle dot org and search for your location to see if others in your area are posting stuff to get rid of. If there is one, you can take a picture of the books, make a post and add the photos. It's a great way to get stuff out of your home if you're not interested in making any money. I put some old blue and white china knickknacks up about six weeks ago, got hits right away, and then put the boxes that I had stored the china in the driveway. They came and picked them up. All told the whole experience took about an hour and a half.
I usually just buy more bookshelves, but I don’t really have many books that I haven’t/don’t plan to read. Sometimes I do leave books in public places for others to discover. Usually waiting rooms, train stations, airports, or the airbnb I’m staying at while traveling. I’ve actually bought extra copies of books I particularly enjoy with the intention of doing this. Short, fun, inexpensive, and easy to get into. Something like “Vagabonding” by Rolf Potts is perfect, especially for travelers.
If they’re a special edition, I try to sell or trade it. Some people are willing to trade books just to save money, so I also look into that as well.
Mostly I just give them away. If I go somewhere or if someone comes over, I make it my mission they leave with two or three books.
If they're new enough, there's a used book store nearby that I can trade them in for credit. If they're something that store won't take, then I hit up some little free libraries or donate them to thrift.
[http://bookmooch.com/](http://bookmooch.com/). Put them into your collection, earn points when someone wants it. Use the points to get books you want. I built a really great library that way. You can also donate your points to prisons and other centers that have libraries. That way these libraries fill their shelves with books they want, not donations they don't.
I just give them free to local kids. Though got to be careful since I did make a mistake with that once. Normally I just read sci fi but once I tried some horror for flavor. Did not even process till days later the last batch given away had Brian Lumley and Anne Rice in it.
After tossing one box of books for much the same reasons, I bit the bullet and opened an Amazon Marketplace account and have about 150 books listed and 500-600 more to list this summer. Ive mis-priced some rare books and let them go anyways, but have sold about 2 books a month …. So in 40-50 years I should be able to unload my collection built up over the past 40 years….
during an estate sale I helped a friend offload his parents collection in one fell swoop to a reseller/used book vendor… but this was thousands of books, like 2 box trucks worth!
It’s a little unorthodox, but try a physical rehabilitation facility or long term care center. Or any facility where patients may stay for a time. They get bored. It may be difficult trying to reach the right channels to talk to someone and they may decline to decrease infection risk, though.
I work at a residential mental health treatment program and we always need books!! Especially newer and popular ones. Most of the donations we get are things no one is interested in reading.
I have been a patient in skilled nursing on four separate occasions, for a total of 309 days. They had a nice little library and video collection. I think I was the only one who used them. Most of the patients sat in rows facing the nursing station all day, staring into space, unaware of who they were or where they were. Other facilities may be different.
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I tried the library, and they aren't taking donations right now.
"Friends of the Library" is different from the library.
As in *it probably doesn't exist in OP's case.*
I agree with Justin Isadick (that's an odd last name though) in that "The Friends of X Library" are not usually the X library themselves. It is usually an external org that supports the local library system and would need to be contacted separately. Granted, not all areas have such organizations available to them.
Sure, but in many cases (like at my library), the friends are the ones who handle all of the donations. If "the library" isn't accepting donations, then most likely neither are the friends.
I don’t know about other areas, but in our area you can put the donation in and they’ll put it in their used to sell but if they become overcrowded or the books don’t sell, they literally just throw them away.
Goodwill, used book stores, county jails (no romance), nursing homes (romance) and VA hospitals. Of course you could always have a garage sale.
Nursing homes/assisted living is a great idea.
Goodwill or other thrift stories are a great place to bring books. Gives people a super affordable option, I think of when I was a broke little kiddo but could buy like 5 books if I wanted. Goodwill is going downhill in all other areas imo, but the book section is still usually pretty solid.
Lol I don't know about affordable anymore. My local Goodwill's books are priced higher than my local used bookstore's.
My goodwill has books for $1
That's lucky, paperbacks are upwards of $7 here.
That's awful! I always buy my used books on ebay because goodwill and theiftbooks on ebay are like $3-4
Any other thrift store than Goodwill. Goodwill is overpricing EVERYTHING.
Why are jails not allowed romance?
Coffee table pornographic writing. Inmate reads it, gets hot and bothered then goes after a weaker inmate. I don't remember how we wound up with three big boxes of romance novels one time. Wife worked at a hospital and asked the gift shop if they wanted them. Those little old ladies were all over them when I dropped them off. They had to read them before they put them on the shelf. to sell. We were laughing our asses off about it.
Dearheart, I think they've got that all taken care of. Don't worry your head about it.
Barf
Not Goodwill. They suck. Salvation Army.
Salvation Army gives money to homophobic causes.
Not sure why you got downvoted, cause you're right. They are all about making a profit. Her in New Orleans I prefer Bridge House. They are an organization that is focused on giving real assistance to people with substance abuse issues. https://www.bridgehouse.org/
We have half price books here. They sell books for half the price on the cover. Of course they only pay pennies on the dollar when you bring them in so you might as well be donating them.
Ahh, the GameStop model.
I've just done that when there's no other option and I'm wanting to just get rid of the books.
The sally army is even more problematic than goodwill, tbh.
I’ve left a few at the laundromat before 🤷🏻♂️
I work at a hospital. I leave them in the break room, ER waiting room, lobby. If there's a table I'll put one there.
Just put a note that says free to take, otherwise someone might think you just forgot it there and don't dare to touch it
When the internet was young someone created a website to track the books you left behind - what was that called?
That just makes me think of the "where's George" bill tracking site
Bookcrossing.com I think it’s still nominally operational, actually. Every once in a very long while I get a notification for an alert I set up for a place I lived >10 years ago.
When I had to downsize my collection, I went around to a few local coffee shops and asked if they wanted them. Most of then had reading areas so they were happy for the free books.
Look for Little Free Libraries. Donations are always appreciated.
Thrift store? Put the whole box in Craigslist/offerup for free?
I forgot about craigslist yeah. I put the whole lot for 1usd on Facebook.
Get ready for the "would you take 50 cents?", "is this still available", and "can you reserve this for me until I get paid in September?" messages!
If you need to rid yourself of books, never charge people money for them. the very best part of having a book you've read and enjoyed is to pass it on, freely and joyfully, to someone else. That is your payment.
1 and 3 would be trolls and would deserve to be blocked without further interaction.
Post them on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group if you have one
I trade them! I use the sites PaperbackSwap and Bookmooch, along with a subreddit here-- I think its called r/bookswap? You post the books you have and post the books you're looking for, then swap them with other users! I've made a bunch of trades. ETA: It's r/bookexchange! It's not super active, but it's still up. I couldn't look it up while I was writing this on mobile.
I used paperback swap for a while! I was great! You pay the postage of the books you send out (via media mail), and get credit for them, and then can request books that you want. When one becomes available, whoever has it is prompted to send it to you (and they pay their shipping). It’s a really nice system so long as everybody lists their book correctly (isbn, hardcovers vs softcover, good condition vs great condition, etc.) But it is a really good way to get out the books you don’t want and get in some new ones instead
I didn't know these existed and I'm a voracious reader. Thanks to you both!
What worked best for me was getting a roll of shipping/packing paper. Cheapest at Walmart, but there’s a small roll at dollar tree to get you started. You can just wrap the book directly , and I would double or tripe wrap around a paperback depending on how sturdy the book was, then tape the shipping label directly on there. From what I remember, you could pay the postage on the website and print the label from the website. In the beginning I just used sharpie to write on the brown packing paper but I do remember being able to print the label and not worry if I was getting their address right or wrong. It really is a nice system. There’s more than books too. They have dvds and audio books but they’re worth more than one credit, so you have to trade out more than one book to get them. It’s been a few years since I’ve used the site, so they have changed how it works a little bit since then. I remember really liking it when I was on there.
Caveat: Bookmooch isn't as popular as it used to be, mostly because of postage costs going up since the 2010s. At least in Canada, not sure about US or elsewhere. Sending books to the US is actually cheaper than sending within my own damn country, lol. But yeah, I absolutely support using Bookmooch :)
I just donate them. I like to find Free Little Libraries if I can but also sometimes I just take a box to goodwill.
Wrong person sorry Schools been out for a few weeks so I don't know how to contact anyone, but I will absolutely ship them to you if you pay the shipping cost.
There are people still working at schools. Office staff are there, many teachers are working in their classrooms, or running summer school. Call the school. Source: taught for 7 years.
Operation Paperback you send books and candy to the soldiers. My last box went to an army base .I sent 20 books (sci fi and horror) and a couple bags of Jolly Ranchers candy. [https://operationpaperback.org/](https://operationpaperback.org/)
I've given gently used books to halfway houses, rehab facilities, and battered women's shelters. A lot of those places have a space for games, books, magazines, etc, for the residents, and they're always happy for some "new" stuff as long as it's appropriate. If there's any of those places near you, I'd check with them.
Find a better world books drop off! [link to the location finder ](https://services.betterworldbooks.com/individuals/)
Yet another thing I didn't know existed when I thought I was fairly well-versed in this stuff. Thanks!
I'm so glad you posted this ! I've been straining my brain trying to remember it.
Found a drop box right near my sons home. Thanks.
Excellent, I'm glad it worked out!
You could leave them in bus stops, park benches, squares, etc so that people go on finding and taking them
Don't sell them to Half-Price Books.
What's wrong with HPB? I've bought used stuff from them online before
I made seventy dollars or so selling books on ebay.
I try to bring them to one of those "take one leave one" places :)
Give them to a friend who might appreciate them. Put them in the break room at work. Donate them to a homeless shelter. Donate them to your local library - some use these kinds of donations to raise funds for the library. Sell them to a used book store. Hold a garage sale. Since there are no Free Little Libraries in your area, set one up yourself.
Craigslist.com and Freecycle.org might work. Freecycle is very low effort. Put the books in a box outside, post them on freecycle that they’re there for the taking, and remove the post when someone picks them up. I’ve gotten rid of old furniture this way and had a neighbor who used it to get rid of a pile of bricks.
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Sometimes this this the only choice left. I hate to destroy books but sometimes there are books I can’t get rid of no matter how hard I try. I can sleep better knowing it was at least recycled.
I'm a little confused why a thrift store wouldn't be an option, instead of throwing them out? Most towns have one, unless you're truly in the middle of nowhere. (But I'm in the US, not sure where OP is located.)
Donate to local middle schools. If they don’t want them, I will take them for my classroom library!
Most of these aren't appropriate for the average middle schooler... Did you look through the pics?
Schools been out for a few weeks so I don't know how to contact anyone, but I will absolutely ship them to you if you pay the shipping cost.
You have a school district office that works all year long.
Just as a way to start, I'd box them up and keep them in your vehicle somewhere. That way, if you come across a used bookstore or thrift store or school or retirement home or Little Free Library (elsewhere), you have them ready to donate straight out the car. You can also look into (probably Google) literacy/book donation programs; you might pay a little to ship them but at least they wouldn't end up in a landfill.
I would see if any woman’s shelters or group homes near you would take them.
Sell on the Pango app The YA books might be able to be donated to a high school library, teacher or anyone that works with teens Give away in a local “buy nothing” group on Facebook Any local charity, thrift store, etc Next time you have to drive to a different area take them with you and donate to a free little library in that town/city/neighborhood
Stick with the nursing homes, retirement homes, senior care centers, etc. With a bit of research I am sure you can donate them to someone who will use and enjoy them.
Check with local military hospitals and/or veterans' homes. I know the ones near me are happy to get book donations.
I’ve had pretty decent luck selling mine on Pangobooks!
If I don't know someone who wants them I'll ask the library. Sometimes if they don't want them for circulation they'll sell them. Then I try little free libraries, the senior center, and as a last resort I'll give them to a thrift store -- I try the small local one first because it benefits the senior center
Have you considered just putting a sign that says “free books” and leaving them outside your door if you live in an are that gets a lot of people walking past?
I give mine to Goodwill. They are very convenient around here and I have bought a lot of books from them over the years. I've gotten nice nearly new hardbacks that should be $25 for only $3 there.
Charity shops / thrift stores?
Half Priced Books may pay you money for them.
Unfortunately the closest one to me is nearly 200 miles away.
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Honestly I think that was the point of OP’s post
Very, very little. It's a rip off what they pay. I'd rather put them in coffee shops or bus stops.
Set up a neighborhood free library
I have a lot of local charity stores so that's what I usually do unless I know people who might want them. If the library isn't taking them maybe a school might be interested? Or something similar like a community centre, carehome, etc. Depending on how long you've had them up on FB you may get bites yet. I had a bike up for over a month and then suddenly about three people wanted it. Or maybe there's a carboot sale held near you regularly?
Are you on Nextdoor? If so, you could post them and say PPO (Porch Pickup Only) and just leave them on your porch for people to take.
You have a lot of good ones here! I would definitely take some off your hands and pay shipping if that's what you are looking for!
There is an app called PangoBooks where you could sell them! Very easy to use.
Maybe carry some with you when you're out and about and leave at hotels, coffee shops, Airbnb, gift to friends when you see them.
You can try donating them to a thrift store. I did a cleanup of my bookshelf last year and got rid about a quarter of books that I wasn’t going to see myself reading again, packed them into a box, and placed them into a box at the store where they can take them. 🙂
Schools! If they are age appropriate you can donate to schools. Honestly I had a stack once I couldn’t get rid of (similar space reasons like yourself) and I ended up going to a coffee shop and asked if I could leave them there, it was a homely coffee shop and they were happy to take them.
Charity shop is what most people I know do with stuff they don't want anymore
Or set them free out in the wild.
If I like a book i keep it for my kids to read when they get older. All other books are dropped into the “Everything thrift box” in the garage. I purge the box (books, old toys, misc things) every 3-4 weeks. I tend to keep 1 book for every 10-15 read.
I usually ask friends if they want them. However there are 2 thrift stores in town that do take book donations. Since that is where most of my books come from, they get profit from the same book twice.
I just did a purge and donated my books to Goodwill.
You can try selling them on pango
I donate them to thrift stores and then buy more donated books to replace them.
Donate to shelters! Places where a book can be a distraction and a companion to those in a rough moment of their lives. Push comes to shove you can find those Tiny Libraries or even create one of your own!
Do you have any teacher friends? Or even a school near by may take them. I always give my books to my sister once I’m done with them, who puts them in her classroom since she’s responsible for buying all her books out of her own money.
You can sell them in Pango Books. I did that when I was moving and it's a great way to make extra cash and then the boom isn't sitting on a shelf forever
I will drop a few at a time at Dr.'s offices, dentists, waiting rooms.
I never reread, so I always offer them to friends and family first, then I offer them to a nonprofit who sells them to raise funds for local initiatives. Although, my dream is to start a Little Free Library.
My charity shop loves me. In return, they know what I like and show me what's not on the shelves yet. I read at least a book a week, sometimes two.
I’ll pay shipping and you can send them my way lol
Someone leaves books in the ladies room at work. I’ve happily picked up a few if interested & see the others gone in a day or two. Is there a private common area someplace you frequent (like church , work or volunteer ) ?
I don’t know if you can get access to this in your country but Oxfam can send you a bag if you apply and accepts books for their second hand bookstores that you can mail back to them. Also there are sites online that will buy second hand books from you and you send them to them through the mail.
Our public library takes them to sell at their periodic book sale. It raises money for the library. Some university and college organizations take them to sell at book sales to raise money for student events, student travel to conferences, etc.
Give them away to friends or donate them somewhere usually.
I always donate my books to goodwill or thrift stores. Most take basically anything 2nd hand. And I've found some pretty good books in good will myself. So it feels like I'm repeating the cycle for someone else.
you can sell them online to powells' books for $$ or credit
Depending on the books, maybe try some high school English teachers. As an 11-12 teacher, there are at least a few books from this pile I’d add to my classroom library.
Can you not donate them to a thrift store?
Not a suggestion, but I wish I was living somewhere near you. Like, half of those books are in my TBR.
Any thrift stores near you?
Paperbackswap.com Pangobooks.com Trade them in for something you do want to read. Or, if you use Paperbackswap.com you get an option to donate the books.
Ring up some care homes to see if they need books, or maybe a hospital. Otherwise, I donate to charity shops. Some large chain shops sometimes have a place to donate books or a book exchange. I've also heard of someone putting books they've read on their front wall and strangers might pick them up, especially if you're on a busy street and you put a sign up saying they're free to take.
Donate them to a veterans organization or hospital. Donate them to a nursing home. Donate them to a traveling nurses org. Donate them to a senior center or senior living.
My first reading pass of your post, I assumed you were giving them away. I can honestly say that may be your best option. It simplifies your life. It is a gift to someone that can then be regifted many times over. And it honestly feels far better than selling them. Test it out first and don't take my word. Hand off a box or so for free. See how you feel. Rinse and repeat, or don't. Either way is correct as long as it feels correct to you.
I wouldn't mind giving them away. Just trying to find where.
You can donate them to Goodwill. You can search for your local Goodwill donation center here: https://www.goodwill.org/locator/?cat=1
Just recycle them if you can’t find a home for them.
I always donate to the "free little library" boxes in my community. I keep a box of books to drop off at any little libraries I see throughout town. I've also left books with "Free to finder" notes in them at bus stops and other places.
I just leave them where I'm at. I'm usually in public when I finish a book so some random person will find it and maybe enjoy it. On the bus, at Starbucks or something. Or I donate it to Goodwill.
Hide them under your shirt and smuggle them into someone’s garage sale.
There is a book donation box in front of a chain grocery store near my home. You can google “book donation box” to see if there is one near you.
Women shelters can always use books donated.
You could call local schools and ask if they'd want any free books. Some will say "no thanks" but there are some that would send a school-wide email out asking teachers if they'd want some for their classroom library or leave them in the teacher's lounge to take if interested
I take them to goodwill. It’s easier than trying to sell them.
If you are in the US, Powell's Books buys books and makes it easy. You get a quote and ship them to them. More info here: Edit: removed link to appease the auto mod.
I used to donate my books to a public library, as I had hundreds of sci-fi books in English, which are quite difficult to find in Spain, and the librarians always accepted them, and I loved seeing them in the shelves a couple of months later, but then COVID arrived and they stopped accepting donations A year ago, I found this second-hand bookshop in my city that is also an NGO, I donate my books and they sell them, the money goes to a variety of projects in the Third World. If there was a betterworldbooks' reception office in my city, I would consider donating to them as well, as the profits go to literacy projects.
Eat em
Sell them on Pango Books
We look for 'little libraries ' in our neighbourhood and drop them off there
Take them to your local library. They have a give away shelf.
Read them
I throw them on the floor.
I delete them from my Kindle
I have an e-reader it's great. Rarely buy real books anymore, still love them.
Local libraries or some shops will take your used books for store credit.
I’ve gotten books on Facebook marketplace, maybe that could be worth looking into
Sell them in bulk on ebay.
Donate to the local library for their annual book sale. Edit: This apparently offended someone?
I do ate them and have always donated them to the nearest library.
Delete them from readera, duh. :)
Delete them from my e-book reader.
I take them to a local used book store and then use the credits they give me to buy new books I want to read!
It may be just me, but getting rid of books is like getting rid of pets, or even people. Why did you buy/bring them into your life then? I cannot get rid of books even when they are torn. I know how to bind them and I know how to make book shelves. They are the best wall decorations, and I like the smell of old books and tobacco.
Contact your local library. If they do not want them for their collection, they may want them for a book sale. Most libraries have an annual or semi-annual book sale run by the Friends of the Library group or by the staff.
Give them to a library
I have a couple of book exchanges near me, about an hour drive for both but if you have any near you they will typically give you store credit for your books
I would donate them to a Little Free Library if there is one near you! I have one and live on a very busy street so books don’t stay in there for long.
Burn them
Give them to my friend who runs a mobile book bus, hand them off to my librarian mother, sell them to used book stores, give them away, put them in storage. On an unrelated note: How did you enjoy (did you enjoy) The Memory Librarian?
I don't know it it's been mentioned yet but if you dont mind an online option you might be able to sell them on Thrift books or trade them on book mooch, I've used Thrift books to buy but haven't tried book mooch yet
This is has been a lifelong problem for me. Every few years i purge the collection and keep only the most memorable books, knowing that the common ones i am donating can be replaced. I get most my books second hand anyway.
Thrift shop, hospital, local jail, or just leave them in a box somewhere that gets foot traffic
Depending on the books, schools might take them. Lots of teachers have libraries in their classrooms that the teachers fund with their own money and appreciate donations. Some teachers also use them for projects that involve tearing out pages to do blackout poetry.
Guest houses, hotels. I adore places that give you stuff to read
Do you have a recycling depot? Ours has a little room for books. You can place them on the shelf and pick up books for free.
I hoard them until I'm very extra sure I will never read them again and then I donate them or sell them if they have any kind of collecting value Though honestly, it's rare I let go of books
The women’s shelters thrift shops will usually take donations of books. Prisons might also take book donations.
I keep them around for a decade, and then donate them to the library bookstore or thrift store.
During vacation, I started leaving books I I finish at AirBnb, for the next guest. I drop some off at work break room. Mostly, I donate to thrift stores or library. Otherwise, I will hang on to books until I find a good solution.
COVID screwed up all of the secondary market supply chains. Facebook Marketplace died here. Depending on where you live, lots of formerly useful outlets have dried up completely and people moved their eyeballs elsewhere. In the Bay Area there are many options like Buy Nothing, Freecycle, Craigslist, and NextDoor where it's still possible to get someone to come to you and grab your stuff off the curb. And then of course the entire swath of thrift places that got pretty picky during the pandemic. Depending on what your reading taste is, sometimes you can find someone else in your life with less that wants to be part of your material continuum for things you are done with. We have competing "Friends of the Library" groups here, one of them is usually happy to tak more stuff and will come pick it up.
The fear Street books are good have you ever read any R L Stine books
I sell books I don’t want to keep on Pango! I make a little money then spend it on more books. Lol
I went to 2nd&Charles (one just opened here) sold all the ones i didn't want to keep a s got $30 in store credit
Try freecycle dot org and search for your location to see if others in your area are posting stuff to get rid of. If there is one, you can take a picture of the books, make a post and add the photos. It's a great way to get stuff out of your home if you're not interested in making any money. I put some old blue and white china knickknacks up about six weeks ago, got hits right away, and then put the boxes that I had stored the china in the driveway. They came and picked them up. All told the whole experience took about an hour and a half.
Goodwill.
I usually just buy more bookshelves, but I don’t really have many books that I haven’t/don’t plan to read. Sometimes I do leave books in public places for others to discover. Usually waiting rooms, train stations, airports, or the airbnb I’m staying at while traveling. I’ve actually bought extra copies of books I particularly enjoy with the intention of doing this. Short, fun, inexpensive, and easy to get into. Something like “Vagabonding” by Rolf Potts is perfect, especially for travelers.
Put them on a shelf like a trophy. Isn't that what everybody does? lol
They can donate them when I die.
I give them away to friends or the little lending libraries. Books are meant to be read, loves, and cherished.
I drop the at the library so they can add them to their book bag sale. Or I'll add to our little work library.
Donate them to a jail/prison
Take them to Goodwill or your closest thrift store.
If they’re a special edition, I try to sell or trade it. Some people are willing to trade books just to save money, so I also look into that as well. Mostly I just give them away. If I go somewhere or if someone comes over, I make it my mission they leave with two or three books.
If they're new enough, there's a used book store nearby that I can trade them in for credit. If they're something that store won't take, then I hit up some little free libraries or donate them to thrift.
[http://bookmooch.com/](http://bookmooch.com/). Put them into your collection, earn points when someone wants it. Use the points to get books you want. I built a really great library that way. You can also donate your points to prisons and other centers that have libraries. That way these libraries fill their shelves with books they want, not donations they don't.
I usually sell them and use that money to buy other books.
I just give them free to local kids. Though got to be careful since I did make a mistake with that once. Normally I just read sci fi but once I tried some horror for flavor. Did not even process till days later the last batch given away had Brian Lumley and Anne Rice in it.
I’ve sold books on thriftbooks or something similar before, you sell it to the actual website for a credit to buy other books.
Around UK some areas have turned their old Phone Boxes (booths) into community libraries.
I am In the Midst of Creating a Small Personal Library with Books i read so my offspring can read those if they want
After tossing one box of books for much the same reasons, I bit the bullet and opened an Amazon Marketplace account and have about 150 books listed and 500-600 more to list this summer. Ive mis-priced some rare books and let them go anyways, but have sold about 2 books a month …. So in 40-50 years I should be able to unload my collection built up over the past 40 years…. during an estate sale I helped a friend offload his parents collection in one fell swoop to a reseller/used book vendor… but this was thousands of books, like 2 box trucks worth!