Paperback Books: I'm inundated, what does everyone do with theirs?

[Anonymous]

I'm a voracious reader. I am going to start using the library, but I have oodles of paperback books.

How do you get rid of yours? I hate to throw a book out, but I really need to thin my books. From my experience used book stores do not generally want the books. They seem to have so many.

[Anonymous]

The Salvation Army accepts them in good condition. Schedule a pickup.

[Anonymous]

Libraries often take them to sell and make money for things they need.

My office does a book sale and gives the money to charity. We just have one shelf and books are $1. Donate or buy as you like. Maybe you could start something like that.

[Anonymous]

Craigslist

[Anonymous]

If you dont mind the drive (or paying for shipping), there's a place in Baltimore that's sort of like Freecycle for Books:

http://bookthing.org/index.html

[Anonymous]

I like the office bookshelf for charity idea. You could also pass them onto friends who might like certain titles.

[Anonymous]

Here's another idea ... I subscribe to booksfree.com, which is like the library for lazy people (or netflix for books). I also read tons and it helps cut back on the clutter in my house since I return them and I only have 4 at a time. Anyway, they have a plan, which I haven't used yet, where you send in your books and they'll buy them from you. Not sure exactly how much you get or if it's in the form of a credit towards your member dues but it may be something to look into!

[Anonymous]

I leave mine in random places, knowing that somebody will pick them up - coffee shops, etc.

[Anonymous]

If you're in Montgomery County, the Wheaton Library has a huge used book store, and you can bring in boxes of books to donate. Stone Ridge School in Bethesda has a gigantic book sale every spring and probably take donations during the school year.

At the very least, please put the books in your paper recycling bin.

[Anonymous]

My office has a "book swap" - it's just an empty office with a bookshelf where you can take/leave whatever you want.

The pool that we belong to also has a book swap in the ladies locker room - again, you leave books/mags you don't want, and/or take anything you like.

Maybe you could suggest having one at your workplace in a vacant office, employee lounge or kitchen, etc.?

Definitely places like Value Village/Nat Childrens' Center, Purple Heart, Salvation Army, will accept them. I have included books in my donations many time.

Someone in my neighborhood also collects them annually for a sale she participates in - I think it's a fundraiser for the American Association of University Women.

[Anonymous]

swaptree.com

You list the books you have and books you want, then the website arranges for a trade. The person you send your book to is not the person you receive from-- it's more like a credit that allows you to receive a book of similar value/condition from any other book trader. You can even print their shipping labels to avoid a trip to the post office.

[Anonymous]

Public library book sale. Not sure where you live but the main branch of the Arlington public library has a big bin in the lobby for donations.

[Anonymous]

There's a great used bookstore in Rockville affiliated with the Montgomery County library system that accepts donations - it's right next to the Goodwill store on Boiling Point Parkway. I stock up on lots of $1-2 paperbacks and then basically recycle them by donating them back. Keeps the house from exploding and makes me feel less guilty about buying so many books particularly if they're not highbrow!

[Anonymous]

If you live near Georgetown, donate them to the Bryn Mawr bookstore. All used book sales go to scholarships for local students attending Bryn Mawr College. This is a great little used bookstore that has been here forever. They take most contemporary fiction.

http://www.his.com/~lantern/

[Anonymous]

kindle