Old books, what to do with them?

mocha beans · July 2009

What do you do with books you've already read? Especially fiction, but I have some nonfiction books that have good info in them, but I'm sure it's just as accessible via google. Trying to staighten up the house, and finding various piles of books while rapidly running out of space on my meager bookshelf.

janedoe1113a · July 2009

I sell my books on half.com. I've made some extra money this way.

NicoleandMatt47 · July 2009

Do you have garage sales at all? That would be a good place. Or maybe you could see if your library or somewhere offers anything for them?

Ssaaraahh · July 2009

Donate them! There are probably plenty of places in your area that take book donations. The juvenile detention center I work at has a large library, and almost all the books are donated from the community.

georgia_bride09 · July 2009

I know around here, the local library will take them if they're in good condition for their annual book sale. We also have several book trading stores, where you get a certain discount per book you trade.

wadingmoose · July 2009

Take them to a used book store?I also think there's an online book exchange available to you lucky americans, but I"m not sure what it's called.

buttaflai · July 2009

I have a local old book store that sells and buys used books. Do you have anything like that?

mocha beans · July 2009

I'll have to check out half.com. I knew there was a site that sold used books, but couldn't remember it.We don't really do garage sales yet, we haven't collected enough stuff that doesn't get taken away by family yet. The library, I need to find out where that is in this area and see if they'll take any.

aerotigergirl · July 2009

I usually try to give my old fiction books to friends. We also have a used book shelf at my office, so I've brought books there when I'm done with them. Whatever is left over, I usually take to the thrift store nearby.I need to do a bit of cleaning, too. Our bookshelf runneth over.

danieliza1127 · July 2009

When we moved, I donated a ton of books to Goodwill.

ffmaid · July 2009

donate to library donate to free book store

duckie1905 · July 2009

As long as they are in okay shape, donate them to your library. Most have a Friends of the Library that will sell them at booksales and donate the money back to the library.

trrouble07 · July 2009

there's a used book store around the corner where i live, and they take used books in return for credit towards buying books from them. works out well for me.

karenttrouble · July 2009

another place you can donate to is books through bars

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · July 2009

Think of places where people spend a lot of time and would like to read for entertainment - literacy centers, youth programs, hospitals, libraries, etc.

kdcwedding · July 2009

I keep all my books. This thread makes me sad.

jessiegirl_98 · July 2009

Check out swaptree.com. You can trade your old books you don't read for others.

mouse10031978 · July 2009

Give them away to someone who needs them- www.freecycle.org !!! Love it!

julezlee · July 2009

paperbackswap.comBest thing ever. I almost never buy new books anymore.

amalama · July 2009

Ditto paperbackswap, but sometimes older books take forever for someone to request them.

SparrowSong · July 2009

Pass on to friends of family immediately after finishing them. Or Goodwill them. Occasionally I'll just abandon them somewhere so that someone can find it and enjoy it for free - on a park bench, bus seat, airport waiting area etc. (I've found books this way too when I lived in Portland, it seems pretty common there for books to be "set free" in the wild.)But honestly, I rarely buy books unless I think I'll want to keep them. I just have zero desire to store and pack and move hundreds of fiction books I'm unlikely to ever open again. I buy some non-fiction and the occasional fiction book. But mostly I use the library or read books passed on to me by friends and family.

skimecrn · July 2009

There is this awesome wooden box on a corner in downtown boise that is for books, it says take a book, leave a book. I'm sure there are other places that have similar programs.

Calypso1977 · July 2009

i have donated books to the local public library.

mocha beans · July 2009

Sparrow, I understand you on the storing thing completely. My dad is a HUGE book packrat, I'm sure there's thousands all over in stacks at his house. That's my great fear, is somehow accumulating all these books, hence trying to pass them on. I dread the day he moves (which may come soon if he gets a job); they're older books so who knows if the library or Goodwill will take them.I found a Goodwill nearby, so I think I'll just pack them all up. Half.com isn't paying for shiit for what I got.

winowedding · July 2009

mocha, FI and I had to get rid of books last summer and we donated most of them to the library, but the ones that the library didn't want (textbooks, for example) we took to the local college. They took them just to have as references. This might help with your (or your dad's!) older books

stephriz · July 2009

www.alibris.com is a legitimate book selling website as well. I've only bought from them, so I don't know about their selling policies.

mwhitson14 · July 2009

Donate them to your local library.Sell them on chegg.Use paperback swap.

tenofcups4me · July 2009

I donate them. (Well, I donate the ones I know I won't want to read again or pass on to someone else, but I can't bear to get rid of a really good book.) In NY, I used to donate them to the Ronald McDonald House, which would then sell them. Currently, DH and I tend to donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. In the past, I've also donated to the local library. And places like senior centers can also always use books.

Old books, what to do with them?

Re: Old books, what to do with them?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards