What to do with read books

[jimwilli]

Im trying to sort out all my books. Have listed a few on ebay. Some im going to keep. I have a load which are not worth selling after the postage cost. What does everyone here do just give to charity shop? Do hospitals accept donations? I recently joined a local library not sure if they'd want or accept?

[Taita]

A lot of places have community libraries in phone boxes / outside churches etc. Lots of smaller hotels / B&B might be grateful, but yes hospitals would be a good shout.

[jimwilli]

Couldn't even find details to donate them to my local hospitals online

[Shaw Tarse]

Local (to me) charity shops don't want used books

[grumbledoak]

The way you treat your spines no charity shop will want them.

You could try leaving a box of them on the street with a sign, then chuck the ones no-one takes?

[GiantCardboardPlato]

I buy more and more and more bookshelves and keep them all in my houses.

PS I've never worked out how people who go on about spines on books manage to actually read books without causing the spine to fold/crease. it has to for you open the book...

[Super Sonic]

Shaw Tarse said:

Local (to me) charity shops don't want used books

Our local Oxfam bookshop does.
YMMV.

[Zarco]

I give mine to my parent's to give to charity.

I buy most books second hand on Amazon.

[V8covin]

Every charity shop here has loads of books at a £1 a time usually.
Condition varies,if I'm buying a 2nd had book I'm expecting it to have creases and marks

[psi310398]

We have a volunteer library that takes donations of books.

The ones it can’t sell in its fundraising sales go to a charity it has an arrangement with that, I think, sends books to Africa and consolidates the ones that remain for sale to a pulper/recycler.

[Skyedriver]

Pleased you asked this OP, been wondering this myself. Most i buy from Charity shops or Ebay. At times the charity shops around here say they haven't room for any more. Oxfam has huge book section, Cancer research about 100 books. We were in Largs and there's about 5 charity shops each with a huge selection and the books were cheaper too.
I've a few sitting on a shelf that have been recommended on here, maybe we could start our own swop shop? Covered by the P&P costs?

[Caddyshack]

We give ours to the charity shop

[Vasco]

Yes, to charity shops - though most have too many and sell few. Not as many readers these days. I guess many go for pulping.

[markymarkthree]

When the weather is good i put them on the wall outside my house for free.

[DaveE87]

Do any local supermarkets have a book section? Some have one near the exit with a charity box next to it.

[jimwilli]

Problem is with swapping postage is as much as the books are worth. I've always though books have been cheap on ebay. Them bulk outfits like world of books must be getting a good deal on the shipping most of my books I've bought second hand for few quid delivered to my door. Not a collector so not really bothered about the spines. I've sent email to local hosp charity but dont hold out much hope they prefer cash. Ill ask that local library if not.

[Yertis]

GiantCardboardPlato said:

I buy more and more and more bookshelves and keep them all in my houses.

PS I've never worked out how people who go on about spines on books manage to actually read books without causing the spine to fold/crease. it has to for you open the book...

I was wondering the same thing. A well-creased spine indicates a well-read book.

[jimwilli]

Well i did the front garden wall trick yesterday and got rid of 2 or 3

[Jamescrs]

Taita said:

A lot of places have community libraries in phone boxes / outside churches etc. Lots of smaller hotels / B&B might be grateful, but yes hospitals would be a good shout.

The area I live in has these community libraries which work really well, that's where most of the books from my house go and there seems to be a fairly healthy turnover from what I have seen walking past.

[Paul Dishman]

Super Sonic said:

Shaw Tarse said:

Local (to me) charity shops don't want used books

Our local Oxfam bookshop does.
YMMV.

Any surplus books we have go to the Oxfam bookshop or Hospiscare bookshop in South St, Exeter. Neither have ever turned any offerings down, although I think anything too grotty goes for pulping so they do get some money for everything.

I had a poor condition copy of Autocourse from 1978/9 having done a deal with a local bookseller a few years back for a pile of Autocourses. I managed to replace it with a better one, but didn't want it to go to a charity shop in case they took one look and sent it for pulping, so managed to sell it cheap on eBay