What to do with old books?

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There are a number of things to do with old books that you no longer want, depending on their condition and content. You might choose to donate old books, sell them to a bookstore for cash or trade, pass them on to friends, or simply throw them away if they’re in bad shape. There’s no reason to allow old books to pile up when others might find a good use for them.

When deciding what to do with old books, first evaluate their condition. If the book is a hardcover and the dustjacket is still in good condition, it may be salable. If it’s an old, worn-out paperback with a torn cover and pages, it sounds like a good candidate for donating or recycling. Make sure the book has all the pages, the cover isn’t peeling, and the pages or covers aren’t smudged. If the old books are in good condition, selling them to a used bookstore could net you a small amount of money. They could even be donated to charity, if you felt so inclined, along with books in less than perfect condition.

When selling antique books to a bookstore, keep in mind that book buyers are often looking for something in particular. It’s important to be aware of the contents of old books if you take them to the bookstore, because some topics are of more general interest than others. Fiction is usually a safe bet, for example: travel guides are not. Book buyers know what’s selling in the store and what’s not, and as a result they may reject some of the old books. Most used bookstores also offer a higher exchange rate than cash, and you may want to consider taking the trade and exchanging your unwanted old books for a new set.

If you donate old books to charity, avoid donating books that are in really bad shape. If you think the book should be recycled, throw it away, rather than forcing the charity to make the same decision and clog up their recycling bins. If a book is stained, warped due to water damage, or has a missing cover, a charity cannot sell or distribute it. Most charities also prefer that you walk into the charity with your donation, rather than leave it on the step to be ransacked and potentially damaged. Charities can also provide you with a tax waiver receipt if you need one.

You might even consider exchanging books with friends. You might just have a shelf of old books you don’t want by the door and encourage your friends to get books that look interesting. If your entire social network followed this practice, a constantly circulating library of old books could form. You could also have a book swap party, where everyone brings a box of old books to a central location for others to look at. After the book swap, collect the remaining books and donate them to charity.

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