What can I do with old books that have been rejected by the used book shop?

Question

I did a cull of books a few months back. Charity shops only want popular fiction - which I don't have. The used book shop cherry picked the rest. I'm left with a box of rubbish, essentially. I have put the ratty paperbacks with really tiny print and thin yellowed pages into the bin, which I hated doing. But what about the rest?

Answer 1

The county jail inmates will devour anything in print, I promise. :)

Answer 2

The problem with any shop that sells books is they generally want only specific books, ones of course that will sell quickly or have some other value that would result in a quick turnover. One option I have used is a charity book sale, if you have one, where you put the books in a donation bin. We have one here which is how I generally get rid of the books I either don't care for or those few that I rarely read and just have no more room for. Once the sale is done the remaining books are either stored or sent to certain charitable libraries. There are always places who need books and, for people who can't afford it, even older fiction can help. You could also look at churches or other organizations in your area that assist the poor. Some of them may have libraries for their use and would need a few books. A garage sale is another possibility. If you do not want to have one see if any of your friends plan on it. They may be willing to let you place your books there.

Answer 3

I would like to leave behind me a legacy of encouraging reading and literacy, so I have started trying to leave small bookshelves in places stocked with paperbacks and the sign "Take One." Sounds a little Alice in Wonderlan-ish I know, but if there's a waiting area -- where soccer moms wait for kids to come out of dance class, or swim lessons, or play practice -- why not have a small bookshelf with instructions: "Take. Read. Enjoy. Return. Or replace with one of your own." How could this be a bad thing? But everywhere I've tried it says "That's a real good idea!" and then does nothing. I'm going to start setting them up and leaving them everywhere, sort of a literary Johnny Appleseed and people can use them or throw them away or whatever, but I'm gonna try. Easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission, right?

Stock a bookshelf like this with your books.

Answer 4

Since the used book shop won't take them, try donating them at various places.

I gave a lot of my older books to my former high school. The books that they did not want I gave to a friend. You might also try local hospitals to see if they want them. If you have some childrens books, you might want to donate them to a children's hospital, camp, or orphanage.

I also know that you could send them overseas to soldiers or you can contact someone on a military base. I know there is an organization that gives books to soldiers. I got one of my favorites from an orgainzation like that.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!

If all else fails, ask the owners of books shops or cafes if they want to set them out for people to take.

Answer 5

I tend to leave them in public places in small batches. Waiting rooms, buses, out on the street in front of interesting-looking houses. Or out on the street on hard-rubbish nights, when everyone puts out the things they don't want anymore and the entire neighbourhood combs the streets all night picking up the things they want to take home. I tend to believe that people who want books might gravitate to the locations and just pick them up to take them home. Any way it reduces the odds that they'll just get thrown into a rubbish bin which would be sad. Somebody might want them enough to pick them up.

Answer 6

See if you can find a place (on the internet) that send books to the soliders in far away places.

I have a local group that send packages and I supply the reading material...

They also like magazines (mostly male subjects but remember there are gals over there too).

Answer 7

Give them away. Put them on the street as a free store. I moved and put lots of unwanted books nicely displayed on the sidewalk and they were gone in minutes. Feed the masses. Let the commodity flow.

Answer 8

Donate them to your school/public library if they are course books.Or else donate them to any orphanage.You know...... those children really need books to read.Or else if you like those books make a private library at your home......i mean for yourself or show it to them who come to your house, it makes a good impression. Also,you can read them after years when you feel like reading them...... that's what i do.
Hope you would like the !dea

Answer 9

yard sale? or donate them to your local library. you could even just dump the books into a goodwill bin, if available.

Answer 10

Garage sales, thrift shops and recycling bins.