 How to Get Rid of Books What do you do with books you no longer want or books that were given to you that you never wanted in the first place? This was not a new question for me, nor is it likely a new question for any reader. We all have them, books that no longer meet our needs or interests, books that are taking up much-needed bookshelf space, books that feel useless. What do you do with them? I have several reliable solutions. Family and friends are the first people I think of when I want to get rid of a book. But—and this is a big but—I use this only when I know that my selected recipient will enjoy and use the book. Handing someone you know well a book can be tricky. You don’t want to burden them with something you think they should read or something you loved that you want them to read because they may feel just guilty enough to take the book while resenting the obligation guilt that prevents them from being honest with you. of course, if your relatives don’t have a problem saying no then feel free to ask away. Freecycle is probably my favorite that does not involve others I personally know. So, no guilt! I post the books; anyone who wants one is free to ask for it. Not all the books are taken, and I don’t like it when a new one that someone should like goes unclaimed. But it happens. I deal with it (see below). The only caveat is that eBay and Amazon sellers hover with vulture-like ferocity over the offerings, grabbing up anything they think they can sell. These people can often be identified by their almost instant answers and the invariable “I’ll take them all!” message. My solution: one book to a person. The sellers won’t come out for just one. My local library isn’t crazy about donations. They certainly don’t want them for their shelves because cataloging costs money, and not only do they have to spend their dollars carefully, they must also choose books that will interest their patrons. Of course they can just sell the donated books but even that it takes time; someone to price them and put them on the sale shelves. I have pretty much given up bothering the library since I learned how librarians feel about this. Some places do want book donation, though. There are nonprofits who use occasional sales to help raise funds. In Santa Barbara, the largest is Planned Parenthood whose annual book sale in late September and early October 2011 will be its thirty-seventh. After all this time, it has become a phenomenal event. Readers and dealers from near and far regularly attend in order to scour the hundreds of thousands of books that people like me have donated. Though I am a regular user of CraigsList, I rarely use their free section to give away anything for the same reason as I noted above in Freecycle. Sellers. While I know I cannot control my books’ journeys after they leave my house I like to think that I got them into the hands of appreciative readers. Book donation sites—my favorites being those that focus on our country’s needs like Books for America, First Book, and especially Reader to Reader—are among my favorite places to donate, but unless they can pay postage I end up rarely donating anything more than one or two at a time. Most of them can’t, and I understand why. When I can, I do, however. I support literacy in those organizations that focus on world needs, but I strongly feel that my country should come first. And, sadly, there is a great need here. You’d think that a city with the reputation that Santa Barbara has wouldn’t have schools filled with low-income students, but they do. So when I have books appropriate for grammar or high schools I prefer to donate there before any other option. That way, I know the books will be right where they should be. With happy readers. Happy readers = happy books. And a happy donor.But what happens when no one wants a book? Maybe you’ve left it on a table at work with a FREE sign on it and three days later it’s still there. You’ve sent e-mails. You’ve even begged. And it’s still there. Two things, neither desirable in my eyes, but sometimes unfortunately necessary. The recycle can and the trash can. In that order. Paperbacks can always be recycled, but unless you are willing to tear out the inside pages from a hardcover and dispose of those separately from the cover the entire book needs to go in the trash can. While I don’t regret a few, very few, books there, I am thankful that I rarely have to use either of these two methods. Neither one benefits anyone so I will search out nearly any other option before using them. And I am wondering how you do it? Do you have favorite de-acquisitioning methods? What are they?Upcoming Book Festivals: The Pub House: Imaging Books & Reading: Of Interest: Until next week, read well, read often and read on!
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