Where can I donate pbooks?

[glnnjnsn]

Similar to ClareK's suggestion, I donate a lot of mine to a local charity that operates an annual book fair.

Doing a Google search of "charity books UK" lead me, not surprisingly in retrospect, to the site of an organization called Charity Books. They might be just what you're looking for if they are legit.

I know this doesn't help you much, but there's a chain of bookstores (Half Price Books) in my area (Texas) that specializes in buying and reselling used books - hardcover AND paperback. If you can find something similar nearby, they usually offer some minimum recompense for any book in fair condition.

[ucfgrad93]

Local library, local school library, nursing home, etc.

[AndrewH]

Last time I moved I donated about 400 books to the public library. However, I contacted them first to make sure they wouldn't mind ...

[forsooth]

my wife sometimes collects and distributes simple books to unusual place

prison reading program and library

to help educate and reduce recidivism

[Witty Username]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

And Witty - I'm in "the county town" - where's this shop sounds like a good idea.

I'm in Yeovil - the link I gave earlier healthyplant.org lists all the Books for Free outlets. Looks like Yeovil would be your closest one.

[crich70]

One place that I thought of was veteran's hospitals. You will find them in most countries and certainly the patients (especially those who aren't able to get around too well) I'd imagine would enjoy having something to read.

[BookCat]

I did some googling and found an Oxfam bookshop not too far from me; next to it are a few other charity shops. I may give these a ring before going. Thanks for all the great suggestions and links. Will see how many books I can part with. The more the merrier! Less to move. There are many I'll never read again, and others I can easily get in free e format. I'll just keep the unread in copyright books I'm likely to read, the read ones which are favourites, and those which are beautiful.

I must get rid of books. I must get rid of books. I will get rid of books.

If I say this often enough, I'll get rid of books!

EDIT: I just rang the Oxfam bookshop. They sell the paperbacks for £2 each!!! Some of the classics were only 99p new. They're also fussy about condition. Some of the ones I want to get rid of are....well read, with creased spines, but still readable. Cheek!

Books For Free say on their website that they take a maximum of three books at any one time. Oh dear....

[faithbw]

I usually drop off books at a local thrift shop. I'm really surprised the ones near you aren't taking books. Another option could be to sell them on a site like half.com. People are always looking to buy cheap books online.

[Witty Username]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Books For Free say on their website that they take a maximum of three books at any one time. Oh dear....

NO!!! You misunderstood - it's a maximum of 3 books that readers can take home from the shop.

By visiting the centres and taking a book, you are reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill each year and helping to recycle valuable resources. There is no catch and the only restriction is that a maximum of 3 books are taken at any one time.

THIS is the paragraph about donations:

Do you have books to give?

We love books! We urgently need more book donations in order to continue giving out books for free and would be most grateful for any help. We accept book donations at any of our 29 centres, we are working on making each centre self sustaining with books coming in and going out. We would like to encourage everyone to reuse as much as possible and want to rescue as many books as possible from landfill & pulping.

If you have large quantities and would like us to pick up the books, perhaps you are a book collector/distributor/publisher/business with excess books please get in touch.

[BookCat]

Silly me! I interpreted the first quote as meaning:

"By visiting the centres and taking a book (with you), you are reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill each year and helping to recycle valuable resources. There is no catch and the only restriction is that a maximum of 3 books are taken (to be donated) at any one time."

Never mind.
After visiting the solicitor to begin the conveyancing process, I dropped into the hospice charity shop, where they were selling books at prices ranging from 15p to £1. So I asked the chap at the counter if they were interested in donated books. He directed me to some ladies who were drinking tea in a back room. When I asked them, they looked delighted and asked if I had them with me!! I explained that I was moving and having a clear out so would have several books (and other stuff - wonder if they'd be interested in old typewriters?) to get rid of.

Seems like I've found a willing outlet.

Strange. I've been past this shop before and seen "No books please" on the door. Well, they want them now.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Anyone else with books to give may also find the thread helpful.

[mediax]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Strange. I've been past this shop before and seen "No books please" on the door. Well, they want them now.

It's probably down to the amount of stock they have for the storage space they've got available - unlike retail operations, a lot of these shops have little (or no) space for holding excess items.

Glad you found a good home for them.

It's too late to help you, but if anyone else is looking to get rid of some books, other places that may accept dontations are hospitals, hospices, sheltered accommodation, etc that don't run charity shops. Give them a ring direct and ask.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by mediax

It's probably down to the amount of stock they have for the storage space they've got available - unlike retail operations, a lot of these shops have little (or no) space for holding excess items.

Glad you found a good home for them.

It's too late to help you, but if anyone else is looking to get rid of some books, other places that may accept dontations are hospitals, hospices, sheltered accommodation, etc that don't run charity shops. Give them a ring direct and ask.

I did something similar a few yrs back with some OTR materials. I had gotten a good supply of the old programs from MysteryShows.com and burned them to disk and donated them to a local nursing home facility. I did check with them 1st via human services in my town to see if they were interested.