Brainstorms > RecyclingMarch 30, 2005

Uses For Unwanted Books

Tips for recycling or using unwanted books. Post your ideas.

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By lk_reader (Guest Post) 02/22/2009

If you are in the San Diego area, check out www.SupportReaders.com.

By
03/10/2008

If you're located in New England you can drop them off at book donation containers in a lot of areas (MA, NH, CT, RI, ME, & VT). If you're in Eastern MA or Southern NH you can have them picked up for free at your home or business from Got Books. Drop-off container and pick-up info is at www.GotBooks.com.

By
06/07/2006

www.paperbackswap.com you can post your books and order free books to read!

By
05/10/2006

http://www.americasbookshelf.com/ , sharing books with their full service system is perfectfor me.

By
05/10/2006

I love AmericasBookShelf.com , sharing books with their full service system is perfectfor me.

By
05/24/2005

OR cut a rectangular hole through the centre pages leaving some intact front and back, glue the cut and back pages together to make a unique gift box or hiding place. this works best with big thick hardcovers, especially fiction that seemed promising but was really very bad ;)

By
04/06/2005

Why Donate, when you can sell and buy more books?! I always list my unwated books at e-bay's half.com and after they sell go shopping for more books. No gas required.

By Ladywilde (Guest Post) 04/04/2005

Donate to the goodwill or library. I buy all my books that way and have a wonderful library but I doubt I have spent more then 100.00 on well over 500 books!

By
04/03/2005

Well ,I have donated books to Nursing homes and Magazines to art classes at public schools.
I am right now getting a bunch of my books together to give to a Use Book Store a couple towns away from me.
The owner I know will take good care of them and make sure they find a new home.

Mr Thrifty

By
03/31/2005

For magazines and encyclopedias: I donated them to a local Charter School and the office was thrilled. The students use them for reports.
When I brought another bunch of magazines to the school, I spoke with an English teacher and asked if the mags really made a difference, and she said they'd already gone through the stack and were hoping someone would bring more.

By
03/31/2005

also check out bookcrossing! it's an amazing way to meet new friends, and track books you've left for others to read :)
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/weeblet

By
03/30/2005

The library will probably sell the books, which is fine. Someone will get to read them, and the library will get needed money. Any charity/thrift shop will also take them, and you can write this off on your taxes, as well. My city (Baltimore) has a free book exchange called The Book Thing. You can donate as many books as you want, and take as many as you want. I think it's neat. Before I give books away to strangers, I set them aside in my apartment and let friends pilfer through them, taking what they want. This could be expanded into a book exchange party if there were enough eager participants.

By (Guest Post) 03/30/2005

Don't forget you can usually sell them on http://www.half.com or http://www.ebay.com. Half is better for books, though, because they take longer to sell. You can post them and forget about them until they sell.
--Kathleen K.

By Ronsan (Guest Post) 03/30/2005

Another excellent use is to send them overseas to soldiers fighting in harm's way. They are starved for books, magazines, etc., and there is a website titled AnySoldier.com that lists contacts for different units. Not every soldier receives letters and care packages from home! I get one of the newer mailing boxs from my local post office which costs $7.70 (I think) to mail overseas ~ no cost for the box and there are multiple sizes. It is so easy to fill up a box with unwanted magazines and books or periodicals, and they are much appreciated by our soldiers.

By
03/30/2005

Got books you've already read and they're taking up space? Why not take them to your local library! Not only are you helping your community but you can also use it as a tax write off!

As for magazines some library's do accept them, but if you're local library doesn't accept them consider taking them to your community hospital or woman's shelter. Never throw away books and magazines! RECYCLE! There's always someone who hasn't read it yet!

By Belinda Sherley

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