[sskink]

We're trying to get rid of a ton of books quickly. My older brother passed away and there's just a ton of stuff to dispose of, a lot of it is books. We don't want to be bothered with a tag sale or estate sale as we'll only get annoyed with bargain hunters. Nor do I have any interest in taking the time to list them all on eBay. Not worth the effort.

I'm in Pittsburgh. The stuff is sitting in my other brother's house in Danbury. I've been searching for used booksellers who buy books, but it seems all of them have restrictions on what subjects they'll take. You guys don't have any Half Price Books stores up there, which I utilize regularly here in Pgh. I also can't donate to a prison as the books are almost all hardcovers.

So it seems that leaves public libraries. I grew up in Stamford, but I recall the Ferguson and its branches are fairly well stocked and probably really don't really need my help. So I was wondering if there are needier libraries out there.

The books, as mentioned, are mostly hardcover. They basically fall into five categories:
- Horror. Pretty much ever Stephen King, Peter Straub and similar authors.
- Fantasy. Lord of the Rings type stuff.
- Movies/TV. Compendiums on everything from 50s TV Westerns to Star Trek to I Love Lucy and the history of pin-up models.
- War. Generally the kind of Time-Life book series for WWII combat, ships, tanks/artillery, major battles, airplanes, etc.
- Thrillers. A whole lot of Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, et.al.

If any of you knows a needy local library who can take a dozen or more moving boxes of hardcover books - there's somewhere between 200-300 in all - I'd appreciate it. Ideally within an hour of Danbury. Hoping to get out in the next month to get rid of the books. I'm due for a Colony pizza fix anyway.

There's also a lot of books on trains, but we'll be donating those directly to Norwalk Switch Tower Museum and Danbury Rail Association, both of which my brother was actively involved with.

Thanks for the help.

[Lintu]

I wouldn't necessarily worry about whether the libraries are well stocked with books - they will be put into the book sale, and the proceeds will benefit the library. I usually donate books to whichever library I've been using most as a way to show support.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by Lintu

I wouldn't necessarily worry about whether the libraries are well stocked with books - they will be put into the book sale, and the proceeds will benefit the library. I usually donate books to whichever library I've been using most as a way to show support.

Understood. However, I imagine there are much needier libraries than the Ferguson, or probably any of the towns in lower Ffld Cty. Ideally we'd like to do the most good with this cache of books, although getting them out of the house is job #1.

And since I don't live there, I don't utilize any libraries. Nor do I know for sure which libraries will actually accept a big load of books as those described in my OP.

[Lintu]

Got it. I've never faced any limitations on the number of donated books when we've done it in the past.

In my experience, the quality of the town library has correlated with the wealth of the town, though it may not be the case universally (I wonder if Danbury might be better because of being so big), so you could choose the least wealthy town as one option if people don't have experience to suggest a specific library.

And I forgot to say before that I'm sorry for the loss of your brother.

[andthentherewere3]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I live in Monroe, and our town library (Edith Wheeler Memorial Library) gladly accepts donations, and will give you a charitable donation form so that you can deduct it from your taxes next year. They have an on-site storage room for donations. As noted above, most libraries will accept donations not just for their collection, but to sell to raise funds. So the books would need to be in good condition, suitable for resale. Books such as college/school textbooks are not usually acceptable, nor are medical advice books, but each library will have a different set of rules. It sounds like your books would be ideal for donation. I've often donated boxes of books, but if you are concerned with the size, call ahead and ask to speak with the Circulation Manager for approval.

[JayCT]

Sorry about your brother. There are a couple of used bookstores in the Danbury area. Goggle them and give them a call. I am sure if they were free they might be interested.

As Lintu noted, many libraries have book sales a couple of times a year to raise money and may be interested in a large number of books. Since the books are in Danbury, I would start with the library there. You could also check adjacent towns like Bethel, Ridgefield, Brookfield and New Fairfield. You could even divide them up among the interested libraries. Jay

[Lalalally]

New Fairfield is currently accepting donation books for its upcoming sale in March. Friends of the New Fairfield Library - Book Sale Dates

I'm sure if you check the websites of other area libraries (Danbury/Brookfield/Bethel/Ridgefield), you will be able to find out if they're in the midst of a collection drive as well.

Edit: I take it back -- it seems NF will be accepting donations beginning March 2nd through March 19th only. That seems weird to me -- you'd think they'd gladly accept donations whenever, and not just on set dates

[andthentherewere3]

I know the Monroe library has a few large book sales a year, but they also have regular weekly book sales. So they are always taking donations.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Lalalally

New Fairfield is currently accepting donation books for its upcoming sale in March. Friends of the New Fairfield Library - Book Sale Dates

I'm sure if you check the websites of other area libraries (Danbury/Brookfield/Bethel/Ridgefield), you will be able to find out if they're in the midst of a collection drive as well.

Edit: I take it back -- it seems NF will be accepting donations beginning March 2nd through March 19th only. That seems weird to me -- you'd think they'd gladly accept donations whenever, and not just on set dates

They likely do not have the space to store books long term. Jay

[DawnMTL]

What about donating them all to Goodwill, where the money that gets collected from their sale gets filtered back into the community? Besides, Goodwill typically hires folks who can't easily find jobs . Win-win.