Have you been decluttering your bookshelves and now you’re wondering where to donate books? I’ve got good news for you—there are a lot of excellent places to donate used books! Check out the 15 locations below to decide exactly where you want to rehome the books you no longer want or need.
1. Your Local Library
Your local library is a great first place to consider when you’re wondering “Where can I donate books?” Each library has their own rules and guidelines, but many of them do accept library book donations!
How does this work? Well, before donating books to libraries you should be sure to check for donation guidelines on your library’s website or call to ask if they accept donations. Many libraries will be happy to accept your books even if the books won’t end up in circulation, as groups like the Friends of the Library can use donated books for their book sales!
So if you want to support the library system while donating used books you no longer need, then check with your local library to see if they accept book donations.
2. Little Free Library
Another fantastic place to donate your used books is to a Little Free Library near you. Little Free Library is a book sharing movement where people set up tiny libraries in neighborhoods, and then anyone can donate or take books from these little libraries for free.
So if you have extra books that you don’t want in your collection anymore, consider donating to a Little Free Library near you. You can check out the map of Little Free Libraries to find the closest ones to where you are!
3. Thrift Stores
When you’re wondering where to donate used books, one of the easiest options is to donate books to thrift stores. There are likely a lot of thrift stores near you, including some big thrift store chains and local places.
If you’re looking for large thrift store chains to donate to, you could consider Goodwill book donations, donating books to The Salvation Army, taking used books to AMVETS, and more. Alternatively, a quick google search for “local thrift stores” or “thrift stores near me” should turn up quite a few thrift stores in your area that would love to accept your used book donations!
4. Local Used Bookstores
Are you looking for places to donate books where you can also get something in exchange? If so, then you should definitely check into donating to local used bookstores in your area.
Used bookstores will often be happy to take your unwanted books off your hands…and in exchange they will give you store credit or sometimes even cash! This can be a great way to pass along books you no longer want, while getting a little bit of money in return to use on buying new books.
Not all used bookstores will give you credit for donating, but indie bookstores are usually pretty good about this and Half Price Books also offers you money back for donations. So check with the used bookstores in your area and see if they give credit for donating used books!
5. Online Used Book Stores
Online used bookstores are also an option for donating books, although it’s likely you won’t get credit in return. But you will get the satisfaction of rehoming your books instead of sending them to a landfill, as well as the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to literacy programs around the world (since many online used bookstores donate portions of their proceeds).
A few online bookstores you might want to check into donating to are Better World Books and Discover Books. Both of these have book donation bins in various locations that you can use, so check out their pages to see if there are donation bins near you!
6. Places That Pick Up Books
If you’re wanting to donate books but looking for a book donation pick up service, then you’re in luck because there are a few places that do this!
One option is Pick Up Please, a service run by Vietnam Veterans of America that will be happy to pick up your used books. They offer this service in many different states across the US, so if they’re in your area then you can schedule a pickup today.
Another option is to check for more local services that will pick up your books. For instance, Re-Book It is a service run by The Last Bookstore that will pick up your books if you are in the Los Angeles area. I expect there are other bookstores around the US and the rest of the world that also offer similar services, so check on Google or ask your local bookstores/thrift stores if this is something they offer.
7. PaperBackSwap
Where can you donate books and get something in return? Well, besides local used bookstores, another option is to list books on PaperBackSwap.
PaperBackSwap is an online book swapping club where you can list the books you no longer want. Then, when someone wants one of the books you’ve listed, you send it to them and get credit to use to request a book that you want from anyone else on the site.
This isn’t an entirely free donation method, since you do have to pay for shipping (and a small fee to list books on the site). However, if you are wanting to get rid of some books while getting new-to-you titles that you haven’t yet read, then this can be a good donation method to try!
8. Church Groups
When you’re looking for where to donate old books you don’t want anymore, another great option is to donate to churches or church groups that hold sales from time to time. If a church near you is planning an upcoming rummage sale or the like, then you might consider donating books to them so they can use the proceeds for church needs or missionaries!
9. Retirement Homes or Nursing Homes
Wondering where to take used books? Another possibility is to donate them to retirement homes or nursing homes. Of course, like many of the donation options on this list, it can be a good idea to call ahead of time and ask about their donation guidelines. If you don’t call ahead, then they may not accept your donation! But this can be an excellent way to bless older people in your community by donating books for them to read.
10. Schools
Schools can also be a good place to choose for your book donations, particularly if you have a lot of children’s books you are giving away. You can check with your local schools to see if there’s anything they want or need, or if you prefer you can check with national organizations and nonprofits.
One nonprofit you might consider is Reader to Reader. This program donates millions of books to schools and public libraries, particularly in low-income areas. This is a great way to help spread the joy of reading through donating the books you no longer need!
11. Operation Paperback/Books For Soldiers
Another of the best places to donate books is to an organization that sends books to soldiers and military families. There are quite a few organizations that do this, but some of the most popular include Operation Paperback and Books for Soldiers. Check out their pages to find out how to donate your used books to these organizations!
12. Prison Book Programs
Have books you’re ready to donate? There are quite a few different book programs that send books to prisoners, which can be an excellent use of the books you’re ready to give a new home!
Prison Book Program is one of the most well-known of these organizations, but they also offer a list of various networks on their site in case they don’t serve the area you live in. Check out the network list to see if there’s somewhere near you where you can donate!
13. Buy Nothing
When you’re trying to decide what to do with unwanted books, another simple way to donate them is to list them in your local Buy Nothing group (or Freecycle). The Buy Nothing project is a space where people in your local community can offer items they no longer want/need for free to anyone else in the community.
This can be an excellent place to list your books and give them to someone who will appreciate them, so find a group near you today!
14. Friends and Family
Of course, when donating your books you might also want to check with your friends or family first to see if you have any books they may want!
When I go through and try to declutter my books, I find it fun to try to think of who may appreciate or want a specific book I no longer want to keep. If I can think of a specific name, I set it aside for them!
Alternatively, you could just gather all the books you no longer want, snap a photo, and send it out to friends. Then anyone who wants a specific book in the photo can claim it! This is an easy way to clear our your unwanted books while bringing a smile to friends’ and family’s faces.
15. I Believe In Book Fairies
And lastly, another book donating option is to become a book fairy! The Book Fairies movement is a fun way to pass along books to others to read once you are done with them.
How does it work? Essentially, when you’re ready to give away a book you put an official “Book Fairy” sticker on it. This sticker reads “Take this book, read it, and leave it for the next person to enjoy.” Then you hide the book in a public place and a stranger can find it and enjoy reading it!
This is a unique way to pass along books you no longer want or need, while ensuring they will fall into the hands of people who will appreciate them. You can get official stickers here or create your own version to put inside your books before releasing them into the wild!
Want to sell your books instead of donating them? Check out these 13 amazing places to sell your books!
Save for Later
I make bookmarks and I want to donate along with my handmade cards, but I can’t find an organization that accepts hand made bookmarks. Can you help me?
Hi Linda! That’s so kind of you to want to donate bookmarks. I am not certain which organizations currently accept bookmarks, but it’s possible some of your local charities, hospitals, etc. would be interested. I recommend you reach out to local institutions in your area to see if they accept donations like these!
I have 50 or so books of my late wife’s i would love someone to have there are herb books novels and many others. I cant walk to good so they would have to come in my house and get them.
Hi Ken – That’s so kind of you to want to donate your wife’s books to someone who would want them. Hopefully you’re able to find a neighbor or someone nearby you who will be able to come get them and will love having them!