The Book Donor

How to complete The Book Donor

Finished books sitting on your shelf help no one; putting them back into circulation means a stranger reads them for free. It clears your space and quietly funds or stocks an institution that runs on exactly this kind of small generosity.

1. Gather books actually worth reading: good condition, no missing pages, no heavy highlighting.
2. Check your library's website or call first; many accept donations only on set days or through Friends of the Library sales.
3. If the library declines, find a Little Free Library near you on the littlefreelibrary.org map; no permission needed, just leave books.
4. Wipe the covers, pack them in a sturdy bag or box, and drop them off.
5. Favor recent fiction, kids' books, and cookbooks; outdated textbooks and old encyclopedias usually get recycled, not shelved.

Tips

• Libraries often sell donated books to fund programs instead of shelving them; that still counts, the money keeps the doors open.
• Leave a few good titles in a Little Free Library rather than stuffing it full.
• Skip anything moldy or water-damaged; one bad book can ruin a whole box for the sorter.

What counts as done

You handed a batch of books, not a single stray paperback, to a library or placed them in a Little Free Library.