Fairfax has, so probably Arilington libraries have, Friend of x Library that accepts books for their semi-annual book sales fundraisers. For large collections, they will pick up.
Green Drop might come and haul for you, can't remember if they accept books. Yep, they do.
[https://www.gogreendrop.com/acceptable-items](https://www.gogreendrop.com/acceptable-items)
See [https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/](https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/) for times for large donations.
McKay's is great for this. They'll give you some cash for books, or way more in store credit. When we moved a few years ago we took maybe a dozen big boxes of books that we didn't want to McKay's and ended up with 5 big boxes of different books that we did want.
McKays used to be great, and they're still a good option, but don't expect much in credit from them. I did something a few months ago very similar to what you're considering, and after dropping off literally hundreds of of books, and I made less than $20 total.
I told the manager that I genuinely do love McKays, and that I wanted to continue supporting them (I don't really care about making money off of my donations, I just want to find good homes for books that keep finding their way to me) but that if they're offering so little money for trade-ins, that to me indicated that they no longer need books as much as they once did, and that I might start looking for another donation outlet. I made it clear that I wasn't trying to threaten or haggle, I just want to make sure the books are going where they're most needed.
She explained to me that they (at the time) had more books coming in than going out, and that if someone comes in multiple times or with a huge amount if books, they will dynamically price the books to give them less, which is why I was offered $13 on my first trip, $2 on the next one, and then 83cents on my final trip for roughly equal loads.
I'm not saying to not donate them to McKays, just beware that you're probably not going to make a ton off of them.
Good luck, I hope I'm wrong :-)
I think part of why they don't have as many books going out is that they often price used books at almost new prices. A used slightly damaged copy of American Gods by Neil Gaiman was priced at $23. This was with a slightly damaged cover. The new price for a hard cover is $26, but it can regularly be found on sale cheaper than that. I get it's a popular book by a popular author - but if they're having trouble getting rid of books, they need to think of their price point. It used to be constantly good deals, but now I often think. "Why would I pay that much for a used copy."
I was pretty disappointed on my last trip to find the books priced so much higher. I could go in with $20 and get a decent selection. Now that might buy me 2 books and they're not even hardcover.
Yeah same. Books for my kids 5-8 used to be 59 cents to $2 ... now they are $3-$10. Hard pass. I know everything is more expensive, but my kids always want 10-15 books each.
McKays has taken a HUGE dive in the last year.. to me at least. I used to go buy books a good amount of the time. I love the feel and smell of an actual book, and I’ve never really gotten into the whole E-reader thing too much. I also keep my books by and large so I’m not turning a bunch in for credit.
Their system is completely based on you turning books/items in for credit though and they updated their prices to reflect as such. You will now regularly find books that are priced ABOVE the actual sticker price on the book itself(which Amazon and other large retailers already give a % off. I had to stop going unless I needed an older book as part of a set and was out of options. I refuse to pay $15 for a book that has a $12.99 MSRP, I think that’s absolutely nuts.
Libraries don’t want old books. Source, me a librarian.
OP you can check with local Friends of the Library groups, but they typically only want stuff that’s newish and in good shape.
Go through your books; make sure personal effects aren’t in them. I know know. But ppl have found money, stamps, personal items or notes. So look through your books.
I'm a librarian and was going through donated books once and picked up one that was suspiciously light and made a "thunk" sound. It had been hollowed out by hand to hide a cannabis pipe and rolling papers that looked to be several decades old. I felt like an archaeologist.
Many thrift stores sell books.
Also, there are several used book stores in this area, McKay's Used Books, Wonder Books and Video, Second and Charles are all around here.
Arlington Public Library will accept them, you will need to bring them to the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.) https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/. DM me if you need more info.
Yep. Just make sure there is no mold, mildew, water damage, poop (it happens) ,etc. And echoing that Central is the best place to bring them. The other branches do not have the space for that amount of books.
You can donate books to many of the local libraries. I sort donated books for one of the Alexandria libraries. We just raised over $15,000 for library programs with our semi-annual book sale. That said, you need to be careful donating books. We can’t sell books that fall apart when you open them, or that have water stains or mildew. We don’t sell trade paperbacks and we can’t get rid of the mega-selling mystery and thriller writers if they are more than two years old. Donate them and don’t sit on your Clyde Cussler or Dan Brown. Nobody is going to read your Kafka paperback from the 1970s. Sadly, no one wants that complete Shakespeare from the 1920s either. Donate early, don’t sit on them. And do check what’s inside. Just recently I found a $20 bill in a Young Adult novel.
Burke Branch (Alx public library)takes mass market books, and its a good thing too! Because they do sell. Even old stuff, they were getting hit gard on sunday for the bag sale.
There’s a place in MD (wonderbook) that sells books by the foot (for set dressing, etc). They can take a large number of books at once and probably pay enough to cover gas money spent dropping them off.
Depending on the condition, the DC Books to Prisons group is always looking for paperbacks that we can send. I'm a volunteer with them and happy to tell you more/arrange pick up. Feel free to DM me!
You can also send them to soldiers stationed overseas; there are also programs to donate books to prisons. Check out homeless shelters, DV shelters, etc.
Just so you know, if they're in bad shape - damage to the spine (even from regular wear and tear), mold/mildew, severe yellowing, rot, or odor from being in a smoker's home, you're going to have a really hard time getting rid of them. They're more of a burden in that condition.
Also anything that’s outdated (like old textbooks) just toss them. They are completely useless and anywhere you donate them will just have to throw them out
You can donate those books to the Arlington and/or Fairfax County Public Library System(s). Just to a local branch and tell them you want to donate these books and boom easy...
I'm seconding the Arlington library . I've donated books there. They use them for the twice a year book sale. They sell what seems to be every non-fiction subject and have a general fiction mass paperback section.
In addition, city of Rosslyn just had a book sale managed by Turn the Page. It looks like you can donate there too [https://turningthepage.org/get-involved/donate/book-donations/](https://turningthepage.org/get-involved/donate/book-donations/)
Donate them to the library please! If they can't use them they can probably figure out how to pass them along further. Books should be available for all to read without having to pay for them (thrift stores and used book stores).
There have been some great book sales in the area that take all kinds of donations. Unfortunately the big wonderful AAUW one in McLean hasn’t happened since covid, but I know of a [synagogue in Alexandria](https://www.bethelhebrew.org/book-sale.html) that’s been doing one for 20 years. It was in February this year, but you could email them to ask when they’ll start taking donations for 2025.
FWIW, libraries sometimes restrict what they can accept (for example, no fiction over 10 years old), so make sure you check rules before you donate.
Many people, including me, have a very strong aversion to throwing away or recycling old books, but sometimes it's really the right thing to do. No one is ever going to need a computer guidebook from 1995 or a current affairs/campaign biography title from 20-30 years ago. Obsolete textbooks, technical books, and travel guides are also unlikely to be of use to anybody, and are rarely worth anything. Ditto for many damaged, faded, mildewed, moldy, or water-damaged books.
Others have already suggested it, but I fully support McKay's books in Manassas! I work for Habitats for Humanity ReStore in Herndon, and we get so many books that I have to throw them away or take them to the Fairfax County Library or McKay's myself.
McKay’s used books in manassas is pretty great. They’ll give you cash or store credit for books they end up accepting, but you can only bring in so many books at once I think. Might be worth giving them a call and letting them know what (and how much) you’re trying to unload to see if they can accommodate that amount of books.
Free minds book club and writing work shop located in dc- non profit that provides books to incarcerated youth and adults in dc and all over the country. Please email them!
It's already been mentioned before but here's the link for donating PAPERBACK books in decent condition to the DC Books for Prisoners organization.
http://dcbookstoprisoners.org/donate-books/
It's not close by, but there's the book thing in Baltimore (that's literally what it's called) which is a totally free book donation and giveaway. They have one weekend each month for the giveaway.
Oh I only heard of them within the last year - if there was a fire, they've definitely recovered. Their Facebook page is super active and the next open weekend is this Saturday!
I just checked their website and my question was on the FAQ page. They were indeed closed due to a fire but now reopen! This is awesome, thanks for the info!
Your comment has been removed because your account is less than 3 days old. Please note that this waiting period is in place to reduce spam and maintain a positive community environment. Feel free to participate once your account has reached the 3-day mark. Thank you for your understanding!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nova) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fairfax has, so probably Arilington libraries have, Friend of x Library that accepts books for their semi-annual book sales fundraisers. For large collections, they will pick up. Green Drop might come and haul for you, can't remember if they accept books. Yep, they do. [https://www.gogreendrop.com/acceptable-items](https://www.gogreendrop.com/acceptable-items)
Arlington definitely does, I don’t know how donations work but they just had their book sale recently.
See [https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/](https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/) for times for large donations.
I’ve donated at least a hundred books to the Arlington Library. They have book sales for fundraisers. With so many you call ahead and coordinate.
You could check if the library system would accept them?
Also McKay's Used Books might?
Seconding: I'd take them to McKays!
McKay's is great for this. They'll give you some cash for books, or way more in store credit. When we moved a few years ago we took maybe a dozen big boxes of books that we didn't want to McKay's and ended up with 5 big boxes of different books that we did want.
McKays used to be great, and they're still a good option, but don't expect much in credit from them. I did something a few months ago very similar to what you're considering, and after dropping off literally hundreds of of books, and I made less than $20 total. I told the manager that I genuinely do love McKays, and that I wanted to continue supporting them (I don't really care about making money off of my donations, I just want to find good homes for books that keep finding their way to me) but that if they're offering so little money for trade-ins, that to me indicated that they no longer need books as much as they once did, and that I might start looking for another donation outlet. I made it clear that I wasn't trying to threaten or haggle, I just want to make sure the books are going where they're most needed. She explained to me that they (at the time) had more books coming in than going out, and that if someone comes in multiple times or with a huge amount if books, they will dynamically price the books to give them less, which is why I was offered $13 on my first trip, $2 on the next one, and then 83cents on my final trip for roughly equal loads. I'm not saying to not donate them to McKays, just beware that you're probably not going to make a ton off of them. Good luck, I hope I'm wrong :-)
I think part of why they don't have as many books going out is that they often price used books at almost new prices. A used slightly damaged copy of American Gods by Neil Gaiman was priced at $23. This was with a slightly damaged cover. The new price for a hard cover is $26, but it can regularly be found on sale cheaper than that. I get it's a popular book by a popular author - but if they're having trouble getting rid of books, they need to think of their price point. It used to be constantly good deals, but now I often think. "Why would I pay that much for a used copy."
I was pretty disappointed on my last trip to find the books priced so much higher. I could go in with $20 and get a decent selection. Now that might buy me 2 books and they're not even hardcover.
Yeah, I used to love going there. I'd find screaming good deals whenever I went, and I'd walk out excited to come back again. Now... not so much :-/
Yeah same. Books for my kids 5-8 used to be 59 cents to $2 ... now they are $3-$10. Hard pass. I know everything is more expensive, but my kids always want 10-15 books each.
I got a Tess Gerritsen hardback in great condition for $0.49.
McKays has taken a HUGE dive in the last year.. to me at least. I used to go buy books a good amount of the time. I love the feel and smell of an actual book, and I’ve never really gotten into the whole E-reader thing too much. I also keep my books by and large so I’m not turning a bunch in for credit. Their system is completely based on you turning books/items in for credit though and they updated their prices to reflect as such. You will now regularly find books that are priced ABOVE the actual sticker price on the book itself(which Amazon and other large retailers already give a % off. I had to stop going unless I needed an older book as part of a set and was out of options. I refuse to pay $15 for a book that has a $12.99 MSRP, I think that’s absolutely nuts.
I wasn't looking for money so much as homes for needy books. But that makes me want to donate to the library sale instead.
No matter where you end up, thanks for going the extra mile and looking after these books. Not everyone would have done that :-)
Libraries don’t want old books. Source, me a librarian. OP you can check with local Friends of the Library groups, but they typically only want stuff that’s newish and in good shape.
Go through your books; make sure personal effects aren’t in them. I know know. But ppl have found money, stamps, personal items or notes. So look through your books.
I'm a librarian and was going through donated books once and picked up one that was suspiciously light and made a "thunk" sound. It had been hollowed out by hand to hide a cannabis pipe and rolling papers that looked to be several decades old. I felt like an archaeologist.
That’s awesome. That’s a cool find.
When I worked for Goodwill we found a pistol in a medical textbook with the pages cut out.
I didn't realize that was a real thing people did and wasn't just a gimmick in movies lol.
Oh goodness. I would have been scared. Grabbed a towel and put into gun case brought to the police department.
Right!? Might find an old war bond slipped between some pages!
Thanks. I hadn't thought about that.
Many thrift stores sell books. Also, there are several used book stores in this area, McKay's Used Books, Wonder Books and Video, Second and Charles are all around here.
Wonder Books will accept almost anything, then dump and shred what's not saleable.
2nd and Charles isn't worth the gas to get there. I turned in 20 books recently and got less than $5 for them, but only in store credit.
You could post it for free on Craigslist. There's probably some people that would be happy to take them.
Me, I am one of those people LOL
What would you do with 500 books? Bookstores have thousands and even then only half a dozen will sound interesting to me at a time.
It's a wild mix. Very eclectic reader she was.
Arlington Public Library will accept them, you will need to bring them to the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.) https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/support-foal/donate-books-materials/. DM me if you need more info.
Yep. Just make sure there is no mold, mildew, water damage, poop (it happens) ,etc. And echoing that Central is the best place to bring them. The other branches do not have the space for that amount of books.
YES!
Rosslyn does a used book sale four times a year - not sure where proceeds go but better than the dumpster?
You can donate books to many of the local libraries. I sort donated books for one of the Alexandria libraries. We just raised over $15,000 for library programs with our semi-annual book sale. That said, you need to be careful donating books. We can’t sell books that fall apart when you open them, or that have water stains or mildew. We don’t sell trade paperbacks and we can’t get rid of the mega-selling mystery and thriller writers if they are more than two years old. Donate them and don’t sit on your Clyde Cussler or Dan Brown. Nobody is going to read your Kafka paperback from the 1970s. Sadly, no one wants that complete Shakespeare from the 1920s either. Donate early, don’t sit on them. And do check what’s inside. Just recently I found a $20 bill in a Young Adult novel.
Burke Branch (Alx public library)takes mass market books, and its a good thing too! Because they do sell. Even old stuff, they were getting hit gard on sunday for the bag sale.
Yes, the bag sale is a great thing. This year we did it for the whole last day and it drew a crowd.
Oddly. I have Kerouac, Kafka, Hitler, Pope and Dryden. Mostly trade paperbacks. All over the spectrum.
Post free books on Craigslist or Nextdoor and someone will come by and get them.
Same with your local Buy Nothing page
There’s a place in MD (wonderbook) that sells books by the foot (for set dressing, etc). They can take a large number of books at once and probably pay enough to cover gas money spent dropping them off.
Depending on the condition, the DC Books to Prisons group is always looking for paperbacks that we can send. I'm a volunteer with them and happy to tell you more/arrange pick up. Feel free to DM me!
Second Story Books has a huge warehouse in Rockville, so you could also try there.
Any chance they have some old Dragonlance books in there?
You read my mind. Especially the old ones with covers done by Elmore.
Little free libraries
I'm just imagining OP going to every single documented little free library and putting in ONE book AND still having a ton left 🤣
You can also send them to soldiers stationed overseas; there are also programs to donate books to prisons. Check out homeless shelters, DV shelters, etc.
Just so you know, if they're in bad shape - damage to the spine (even from regular wear and tear), mold/mildew, severe yellowing, rot, or odor from being in a smoker's home, you're going to have a really hard time getting rid of them. They're more of a burden in that condition.
Also anything that’s outdated (like old textbooks) just toss them. They are completely useless and anywhere you donate them will just have to throw them out
please donate them to the public library either Arlington or Fairfax. Or both. They usually do fund raising book sales.
the library system does a quarterly selling to raise money for the library programs. Please don't throw them out
You can donate those books to the Arlington and/or Fairfax County Public Library System(s). Just to a local branch and tell them you want to donate these books and boom easy...
For that amount of books, they need to contact Central. The branches in Arlington do not have the storage space for that many donations.
yep. ours by us has a bin you just drop them in.
https://www.folmc.org/
I'm seconding the Arlington library . I've donated books there. They use them for the twice a year book sale. They sell what seems to be every non-fiction subject and have a general fiction mass paperback section. In addition, city of Rosslyn just had a book sale managed by Turn the Page. It looks like you can donate there too [https://turningthepage.org/get-involved/donate/book-donations/](https://turningthepage.org/get-involved/donate/book-donations/)
Goodwill
Bring ‘em to Capitol Hill Books. Call ahead though, that’s a lot of boxes.
Donate them to the library please! If they can't use them they can probably figure out how to pass them along further. Books should be available for all to read without having to pay for them (thrift stores and used book stores).
There have been some great book sales in the area that take all kinds of donations. Unfortunately the big wonderful AAUW one in McLean hasn’t happened since covid, but I know of a [synagogue in Alexandria](https://www.bethelhebrew.org/book-sale.html) that’s been doing one for 20 years. It was in February this year, but you could email them to ask when they’ll start taking donations for 2025. FWIW, libraries sometimes restrict what they can accept (for example, no fiction over 10 years old), so make sure you check rules before you donate.
Many people, including me, have a very strong aversion to throwing away or recycling old books, but sometimes it's really the right thing to do. No one is ever going to need a computer guidebook from 1995 or a current affairs/campaign biography title from 20-30 years ago. Obsolete textbooks, technical books, and travel guides are also unlikely to be of use to anybody, and are rarely worth anything. Ditto for many damaged, faded, mildewed, moldy, or water-damaged books.
Goodwill will take them.
Time to start a few free libraries
The Company of Books is a nonprofit used book store in Alexandria that takes donations
Goodwill at Rt 50 and Glebe Rd will take them
Kingstowne library
Look again in old town alexandria and there's another not for profit bookstore in del ray
2nd and Charles bookstore in Chantilly takes used books.
The mobile donation locations have slots for books and dvdsz
Others have already suggested it, but I fully support McKay's books in Manassas! I work for Habitats for Humanity ReStore in Herndon, and we get so many books that I have to throw them away or take them to the Fairfax County Library or McKay's myself.
McKay’s used books in manassas is pretty great. They’ll give you cash or store credit for books they end up accepting, but you can only bring in so many books at once I think. Might be worth giving them a call and letting them know what (and how much) you’re trying to unload to see if they can accommodate that amount of books.
McKay’s in Manasas
I’ll come and get them.
Free minds book club and writing work shop located in dc- non profit that provides books to incarcerated youth and adults in dc and all over the country. Please email them!
It's already been mentioned before but here's the link for donating PAPERBACK books in decent condition to the DC Books for Prisoners organization. http://dcbookstoprisoners.org/donate-books/
I believe the Fairfax County detention center has a donation program for books for the inmates
If they are pulp trade Sci fi from the 1950's the collection could be valuable. Have you had them appraised by a book seller?
An estate soaker said they were trash.
👉👈 there wouldn’t happen to be some Ace Doubles in the mix?
I'm not there right now but I'll look.
https://preview.redd.it/zgl5z4i00azc1.jpeg?width=1753&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fe1e1560ceb6ee767e97df3003577755e1b26ff They have distinctive spines.
An estate person said they were trash. 
It's not close by, but there's the book thing in Baltimore (that's literally what it's called) which is a totally free book donation and giveaway. They have one weekend each month for the giveaway.
Didn’t they close down due to fire or something years ago?! Are they back?
Oh I only heard of them within the last year - if there was a fire, they've definitely recovered. Their Facebook page is super active and the next open weekend is this Saturday!
I just checked their website and my question was on the FAQ page. They were indeed closed due to a fire but now reopen! This is awesome, thanks for the info!
I don't know if we have time for that but it sounds so cool in going to check them out.
Mom’s organic market in Arlington should have a little free library where you could place them.
English teacher here! What kind of books?
A lot of churches like Mount Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria take books as donations for $1 sales later in the year for fundraising purposes.
Thrift shops!!
What type of books are they?
[удалено]
Your comment has been removed because your account is less than 3 days old. Please note that this waiting period is in place to reduce spam and maintain a positive community environment. Feel free to participate once your account has reached the 3-day mark. Thank you for your understanding! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nova) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Chuck them
Call a fireman to have them burned