10 Ways to Get Rid of Old Paperbacks
Yes, I know. We're all going digital, and paperbacks are becoming relics. Even so, there's still a pile of paperbacks that you might want to get rid of without feeling guilty for having to pulp them. Maybe you haven't thought of these ideas, or you have your own to add.
#1. Pass them on to a friend or family member. Maybe a bookwormish niece who hasn't tried your tastes in reading might be receptive.
#2. Pass them on the paperbackswap.com or similar online swap center. I haven't tried one, but the idea appeals to me.
#3. Pass them on to a used bookstore. I've done this and gotten book credits for other books. Remember the owner has to make his or her money, so you're not getting the best side of the deal.
#4. Leave a few in public places like the Metro car. The theory is a reader coming along will pick it up.
#5. Donate them to a hospital ward.
#6. Donate them to your public library. Ours is pick about what they'll accept. The overflow goes to the annual book sale they hold.
#7. Donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army which isn't as picky, or so I've been told.
#8. Leave them at the curbside with a sign reading "FREE BOOKS!" You'd be surprised at how fast they'll disappear.
#9. Take a breath and just go ahead and toss them into the recycle bin. I do this with the ARCs I get for review. They're all marked up with my commets and dogeared.
#10. Sorry to say but I ran out of ideas at this point. Maybe you have one to share.
By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"The most fun traipsing along the muggy, rugged backroads of Appalachia since DELIVERANCE."
Barnes & Noble Mystery Blog
#1. Pass them on to a friend or family member. Maybe a bookwormish niece who hasn't tried your tastes in reading might be receptive.
#2. Pass them on the paperbackswap.com or similar online swap center. I haven't tried one, but the idea appeals to me.
#3. Pass them on to a used bookstore. I've done this and gotten book credits for other books. Remember the owner has to make his or her money, so you're not getting the best side of the deal.
#4. Leave a few in public places like the Metro car. The theory is a reader coming along will pick it up.
#5. Donate them to a hospital ward.
#6. Donate them to your public library. Ours is pick about what they'll accept. The overflow goes to the annual book sale they hold.
#7. Donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army which isn't as picky, or so I've been told.
#8. Leave them at the curbside with a sign reading "FREE BOOKS!" You'd be surprised at how fast they'll disappear.
#9. Take a breath and just go ahead and toss them into the recycle bin. I do this with the ARCs I get for review. They're all marked up with my commets and dogeared.
#10. Sorry to say but I ran out of ideas at this point. Maybe you have one to share.
By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"The most fun traipsing along the muggy, rugged backroads of Appalachia since DELIVERANCE."
Barnes & Noble Mystery Blog
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Stephen wrote: "Bookcrossing is a good resource, probably akin to your 2nd item. I don't have the patience to log books contributed/read on their website, but I often frequent baskets set up here and there, and ha..."Right. This is going to be gone after books go all-digital, I'm afraid. Thanks for the comments.
I have my class collect paperback books to donate to the Women's Prison Book Project in Minneapolis. Parents can clear off space on their shelves and put the books to good use at the same time.http://www.wpbp.org/
Michele wrote: "my sister and I swap paperbacks."Good idea, too. Thanks.
Send them overseas to the soldiers or donate them to the VA hospital in your area! Booksforsoldiers.com is a good source also SoldiersAngels.com will take donations.
Elaine wrote: "Send them overseas to the soldiers or donate them to the VA hospital in your area! Booksforsoldiers.com is a good source also SoldiersAngels.com will take donations."Always a great idea, Elaine. Thanks for the links, too.
"#5. Donate them to a hospital ward."e.g. to a children's hospital or hospice. Do a good deed and share the good feelings the books once gave to you with people who need a little bit of luck and sunshine in their days.
after my sister has read the books we swapped, she brings them to her doctor's office and leaves them there. A lot of people bring them home with them. Also, try bringing them to a seniors center.
Michele wrote: "after my sister has read the books we swapped, she brings them to her doctor's office and leaves them there. A lot of people bring them home with them. Also, try bringing them to a seniors center."Sounds good to me. I usually get more nervous at the dentist's office and look for a distraction. Thanks.
Creamoflife wrote: ""#5. Donate them to a hospital ward."e.g. to a children's hospital or hospice. Do a good deed and share the good feelings the books once gave to you with people who need a little bit of luck and ..."
I like the sentiment. Thank you.
Still recovering from the state of shock over no #9. I couldn't throw a book away. I pass mine on to friends, family and the charity shop. Of course there is the few hundred that I keep to re read.
Sibhs wrote: "Still recovering from the state of shock over no #9. I couldn't throw a book away. I pass mine on to friends, family and the charity shop. Of course there is the few hundred that I keep to re read."I agree with you. But the Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) used for review purposes are often full of typos and unedited, so they're not really books or much fun to read.
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Also, where I live, some organization comes round every month or so and sets up tables laden with hundreds of donated books. The arrangement is that you can take away the same number and quality of books that you leave behind.
I've been told before that the books I review on GR cover a pretty broad range. To some extent that's a function of the randomness of what happens to be available for the taking.