So I’ve got 6 shelves worth of children’s books that are aimed at 8-13y kids that I need to get rid off to make space for my current books and revision resources. I’ve tried to sell them on eBay, but it really didn’t work and since a lot of them are singular and not collection, no one really wanted them. I don’t want them to got to waste since they are in great condition, I’m considering charity as my last resort as I’ve been told they throw away many books if they don’t sell. I don’t mind not making any money from it but I really do want them to be appreciated by people.
by kiwayuz
26 Comments
There are women’s shelters which are always looking for more children’s materials. Maybe everything you have isn’t something they would want, but you never know.
Also little libraries are good places to drop off extra books. We have a couple in our area that turn over surprisingly quickly.
See if there are any under-served school districts around you that could use the books! Or any youth centers, inner-city programs, etc.
Additionally, if there’s any colleges/universities around you there are likely student teachers who could use them to help build a library for their future classrooms. You can email someone in the education department to see if they have anyone who would want to take them off your hands!
You could ask your local schools, if they’re in good condition – I take books up every time the kids have a clear out
See if there’s a little free library near you! Encourages neighborhood book exchanges and you’ll usually find they’re geared towards children’s literature
Maybe a local Ronald McDonald House or children’s hospital? Our Shriner’s Hospital had a cart where kids could pick a donated item every visit, and the cart always had books on it for the teens to choose, and stuffed animals and toys for the littler kids. Our service organization collected books and video games and gaming machines for our local Ronald McDonald House once. (Families can stay there while their child is in town for medical care). Or your local high school or middle school library?
Do you have any little libraries in your neighborhood? I would put a few in there and see if anyone takes them.
Could also call your local elementary school or daycares and see if they want them.
You could try your local public library, sometimes they will take books so it’s definitely worth asking.
If you have a local facebook group you could see if there are any parents with kids who are readers who might take them.
Great Ideas:
Little Libraries
Doctor’s Offices
Health and Human Services offices
Elementary Schools
Little Free Library
Or, local church nursery or daycare, or the DV shelter.
Librarian here. Books that are worn or have dated images on cover are never first picks by a child or adult. It doesn’t matter if it’s a classic. People judge books by their covers. It doesn’t matter how much you loved the book and want to share with others. The only way that book will find a likely reader is if you personally explain its awesomeness. Just like you shouldn’t give crappy clothes to donation center don’t give that book to some helpless kid. It’s ok to throw a book out. We do it all the time to make room for the next book. The only library that doesn’t do this is the library of congress and Harvard. Every other library has shelf and storage constraints.
Look for a school that would appreciate them. I used to donate most of my used children’s books to a school in my old city that worked with the homeless community. They loved to be able to give books to children since they often would only have a few days with them so they couldn’t offer a real “lending library”
Can post for free on Facebook marketplace or buy nothing page
Any friends or family that have a youngster that might appreciate them? Otherwise, I’d echo recommendations of library/shelter/little library/Salvation Army as mentioned before me.
Find a new teacher who needs to build up their classroom library. I scrounge up books from EVERYWHERE.
Used book stores may accept them and give you a bit of store credit that can be used towards getting other books
Try PangoBooks. App for buying and selling used books. Can’t guarantee they would sell, but worth a shot.
Try your local Buy Nothing group!
I am a friend of the local public library. We gave each kid that came to our house a choice of a book they could take to read. Parents and kids were thrilled!
Books for Africa do?
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https://www.booksforafrica.org/
It’s really hard to face the fact that nobody wants your beloved books, but I’ve been there and they don’t. Yes, you can donate them to the library, and volunteers will sort them out and then will throw a lot of them out after no one takes them. Or you can give them to your local thrift/ Salvation Army Center, which if they’re in *new* shape might consider them.
Put them on craigslist/offerup for free? Otherwise they are destined for a landfill. Such is the life for mass produced books.
* Sell them
* Keep them
* Donate them
* Throw them away
Books aren’t sacred objects. If you don’t want them, and others don’t want them, then they’re essentially garbage at that point and it’s fine to treat them as such.
Your local child and family services branch will probably take them. I know ours will take donations to give to kids in the foster care system.
Some daycares will take kids books. And people probably donate more little kids books so the older kids maybe could use something to read.
A local used bookshop may buy them or give your credit towards future bookshop purchases.
Women & children shelters.
Contact local elementary schools & see if they take some book donations or would like a list of titles so the school librarian can pick things that they don’t have.
Local public libraries often accept book donations. These books may not become part of the library collection. Sometimes library support groups will hold a book fair once a year to resell any donations. The money raised is then given to the library.
Make a Facebook post offering free kid books.