Places to Donate Materials

When clearing/cleaning your library collection. Often times there will be materials that do not necessarily meet the all qualifications (be it  with MUSTY / CREW) to be kept within your library's collection. However, these materials are more often than not still in more than acceptable condition to be enjoyed by others. A quick google search for this gave me the following link/listicle ( my new favorite portmanteau )

The most common place suggested to donate books (other than another library) would be Thrift Stores such as the Goodwill, Salvation Army, However there are more options that may better fit the type of media you are trying to clear out of your collection. For instance not many places have uses for outdated encyclopedias, but there are places that ask from them such as SCARCE .

Other popular options include

1. Book Sale: Can be done as a fundraiser for your library system. This should only be done with gently used books.

2. Operation Paperback:  A non-profit organization that helps supply American soldiers with books who are overseas.

3. Tiny/Little Libraries: Such as the one pictured below.

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4. Books For Prisoners:  (This is something I did not think of) The importance/impact a prison library can have is easily seen in The Shawshank Redemption. Reading goes hand in hand with the expansion of ones mind which is essential for rehabilitation.

I also found a link with more great info on this from the American Library Association.

Happy Cleaning/Recycling fellow Librarians!