It’s not easy to find places for college books, especially textbooks that are even just a few years old. People who may be cleaning out their offices or bookshelves can thank Andy Whitman for sending us this information from Amy Sheldon, retired communication studies professor, who recently explored places that welcome books. Amy shares her experiences:

"Half Price Books, Magers & Quinn, and the U of M Libraries were not interested in my scholarly books, although Half Price Books and Magers & Quinn offered to properly recycle them. Other places that will take our books are the following:

“Books for Africa (booksforafrica.org/donate/donate-books.html) usually does one or two book drives per year at the University. They took everything I left outside my office.

Iraqi + American Reconciliation Project (nextdoor.com/pages/the-iraqi-and-american-reconciliation-project/), 2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 200, Minneapolis, is having a book drive until May 18, to restock the decimated library in Mosul, but will take book donations other times too.

Textbooks for Change (textbooksforchange.com/).

These organizations would appreciate a monetary donation too, to cover the cost of shipping to receiving countries.

Some companies have drop boxes and will make sure that every item placed in the boxes is sold, donated, or properly recycled. You can Google the box locations. A Greener Read is a local company in St. Paul. Better World Books, a national company, has a box at The Hub in Richfield. Both work with Books for Africa. USAgain takes books as well as clothes.”

UMRA members, if you have found any other useful book donation sites, please send your suggestions to me at [email protected].

— Julie Medbery, UMRA Newsletter editorial team