![\"book](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/book-donations-in-New-York-City-1024x536.png\")
\nToday, we\u2019ll discuss one of the most popular ways of decluttering: giving your old books a new life by donating them to other people and organizations. This post will be helpful if you have a few (or many reads) you want to get rid of in bulk without a hassle.<\/p>\n
We already covered New York<\/a> when we discussed the best places to sell books in the area. Today, we\u2019ll focus on the local organizations and online resources that accept book donations in New York City<\/strong> and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are numerous organizations and places where you can donate books that will be put to good use, whether these are libraries, charities, hospitals, local non-governmental organizations, or local educational programs and homeschooling groups. In this guide, we prepared two lists\u2014one with local places and another with online alternatives\u2014that will help you find the perfect place and a new home for your old copies.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ll start with the list of the organizations and stores that accept book donations.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 126 Crosby St, New York, NY 10012 Housing Works is a nonprofit that provides services to those affected by HIV\/AIDS. They fight to “create the change needed to end the AIDS epidemic and homelessness crisis.” <\/i>The organization accepts various donations, but their bookstore caf\u00e9 welcomes books in good salable condition (even those prior to publication advanced reader copies), which are sold to raise funds for their programs.<\/p>\n They do not accept items in poor condition, with markings or excessive wear, damaged by water or mildew, or missing pages, textbooks, encyclopedias, etc. They can refuse any donations that do not meet their standards. You can bring your donations into the bookstore from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. For more information, please contact them in advance.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: Various locations across NYC Currently, The New York Public Library doesn\u2019t accept book donations until further notice. However, they make exceptions for specific titles: “For donations of rare books, manuscripts, and other unique material to the Research Libraries, please send an email to gifts@nypl.org.”<\/i>\u00a0Contact them in advance regarding your request.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 We already covered the Strand\u2014a “Legendary Home of 18 Miles of Books<\/i>” and the largest (and oldest remaining) used\/antiquarian book store in NYC\u2014when we discussed book-selling options in New York, and in this review, we couldn\u2019t but mention it, too.<\/p>\n Famous for its vast collection of books, we know they have a buyback program, so you can definitely offer to sell your books<\/a> to them. However, it\u2019s unclear whether they accept book donations. We encourage you to contact the store and inquire about their donation options.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 686 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Greenlight Bookstore is an independent bookstore in Brooklyn. While it accepts donation requests<\/a> from local schools and nonprofit organizations, we\u2019re not sure about its donation policy.<\/p>\n You can ask them directly by sending an email to info@greenlightbookstore.com<\/a> or visiting in person.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: Various locations across Brooklyn, NY The Brooklyn Public Library \u201cno longer accepts donations of books and other materials from the public for its collections at its neighborhood libraries.\u201d<\/i> However, they accept financial donations if you want to help them raise funds for various library programs.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 123 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY Books Through Bars is an \u201call volunteer-run group that sends free, donated books to incarcerated people across the nation!\u201d <\/i>They collect books for incarcerated individuals in New York state. They focus on providing educational resources, novels, and self-help books.<\/p>\n Donations can be dropped off at various locations in NYC or mailed. Please keep in mind that they don\u2019t accept hardcovers and don\u2019t make pick-ups. Your used English dictionaries, Spanish\/English dictionaries, and thesauruses will be most welcome. The full list of accepted titles can be found on their website.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: Various locations in New York The Salvation Army in NYC, as well as other locations across the country, accepts donations of books, clothing, appliances, and other goods. You can check the full list on their website.<\/p>\n To get the details about the process, call your local donation center<\/a>. They sell donated stuff in thrift stores and use funds to support community services and various programs.<\/p>\n Address: <\/b>New York City, Woodbury, and Stony Brook \u201cReading Reflections saw the tremendous need for books both locally and in impoverished areas globally, so had to step in.\u201d <\/i>They accept donations of children’s and young adult books, which they further distribute to schools, organizations, and social workers in need, both in New York and overseas.<\/p>\n You can make a donation through drop-off locations. For larger donations,\u00a0 schedule a pick-up.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 2550 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314<\/p>\n The Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library is one of the branches of The New York Public Library. You can also contact them to inquire about the possibility of book donations in the area. If they don\u2019t do it, check out other Staten Island locations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: Pick up from you Reach Out and Read NYC is part of a nationwide initiative that introduces books to children during pediatric visits. They accept donations of baby and children’s literature and distribute it further to families at pediatric offices. If you have something to donate, simply fill out the online form on their website to schedule a pick-up.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 99 Saint Marks Place between First Ave. & Ave. A, NY We\u2019ve already covered this store when we listed the places for buyback in NY. This shop also accepts donations: \u201cIf you would like to donate books, perhaps because a librarian at one of the New York Public Library branches referred you, we can work with you on this.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n They are specifically interested in art and photography books, philosophy, mathematics, religion, occult, esoterica, new age, counter-culture, left\/radical, critical theory, music, literary fiction, and a long list of other titles<\/a>. Make sure you send photos of your literature (spines) to eastvillagebooksny@aol.com<\/a> before you come in person.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: 2246 Broadway, New York, NY, 1002 This store buys books back for cash or store credit and also accepts donations. If you\u2019re willing to give away your old copies of fiction for free, contact the owner. However, keep in mind that they don\u2019t accept textbooks, travel guides, Dummies Guides, encyclopedias, Reader’s Digests, Time Life, or magazines.<\/p>\n Also, if you have damaged or annotated books, you might better send them to recycling right away. To get more details, call them or bring your items in after 12 p.m.<\/p>\n Address<\/b>: New York, NY<\/p>\n ReLIT NY (Read, Recycle, Repeat Literature In Transit) is a reading and recycling program that brings free books to New York’s commuters.<\/p>\n They leave all sorts of free literature at major subway stations so that everyone can read them. Apparently, donating is easy with ReLIT: you can simply leave your used books at their stand at subway stations.<\/p>\n Address: <\/b>70 N Main St, Freeport, NY 11520 The Book Fairies is a charitable organization dedicated to spreading the joy of reading by collecting and distributing literature to those in need. They accept a wide range of books, including children’s literature, fiction, cookbooks, and textbooks (up to 10 years old).<\/p>\n They also offer pick-up services for larger donations in Long Island and Eastern Queens. Check their map of drop-off locations<\/a> to find the closest to you.<\/p>\n Address: <\/b>1465 York Ave, New York, NY 10075 The Book Cellar is managed by the Friends of the Webster Library. It\u2019s a nice used bookstore with a great selection of titles for all ages, from children’s readers to classics, comics, and modern fiction and nonfiction. They accept book donations; however, make sure your copies are in very good condition\u2014hardcovers with dust jackets, no yellowed pages, underlining, or writing inside.<\/p>\n Also, be ready to take home everything that they refuse to accept, as they don\u2019t dispose of books themselves. If this happens, you can prepare by reading our guide on recycling books<\/a> and textbooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Address: <\/b>South Bronx Family Center: 424 East 147th Street, Floor 5, Bronx, NY 10455 This nonprofit organization helps low-income families with young children. They accept donations of baby, toddler, board, and picture books in English and Spanish. To donate, you can drop off items at their Bronx location.<\/p>\n Schedule a drop-off meeting, mail them to the provided address, or request a pick-up (keep in mind that it\u2019s not free: there\u2019s a $100 charge). Apart from the local places in the New York area, there are also organizations that accept literature countywide. We\u2019ve already given you a list of places where you can donate used books<\/a> in the U.S. Here are just a few you can use locally.<\/p>\n Website<\/b>: Better World Books<\/a><\/p>\n Better World Books doesn\u2019t need an introduction. The organization accepts book donations via boxes across the U.S. and uses them to promote literacy. Then, books are sold online, and a portion of the funds goes to support various initiatives. Check their website for more information.<\/p>\n Website<\/b>: Book Mooch<\/a><\/p>\n This is a global book exchange system and a community-driven website that allows you to exchange used books. So, you sort of give them away for free, but the process is a bit different, and you\u2019re in a win-win situation. You send your books to others, and in return, you earn points to request books.<\/p>\n Website<\/b>: Give Back Box<\/a><\/p>\n Give Back Box allows you to donate books to various charities by shipping boxes. In your case, you can give away a box of your unwanted books. You go to their website, choose a charity, fill a box with books, and send it for free. \u201cYour boxed donations can now be dropped off at<\/i><\/p>\n any Kohl\u2019s location using your smartphone and a QR code.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Website<\/b>: World Literacy Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n Finally, The World Literacy Foundation offers that you \u201cDonate today and open a world of possibilities for a child.\u201d<\/i> You can send them your old copies that will find their way to schools, libraries, and children in need around the world. Most bookstores and organizations accept gently used books in good condition. Children\u2019s books, fiction, and non-fiction are always welcome.<\/a><\/p>\n While many places accept all sorts of books, some organizations may have specific needs or restrictions and do not take in textbooks, encyclopedias, or very old or worn books. Also, avoid donating damaged, moldy, or heavily underlined items.<\/a><\/p>\n You can organize your books by genre or size to help the receiving party sort and distribute them more easily, making the donation process smoother.<\/a><\/p>\n As we\u2019ve mentioned earlier, you can either visit the many stores, libraries, or drop-off locations around the city yourself, or mail your books, or schedule a pick-up. For each specific case, check each organization\u2019s guidelines and working hours.<\/a><\/p>\n Sure. Staton Island has 13 New York Public Library locations. There\u2019s also the Brooklyn Public Library<\/a>. And there are plenty of charities across these areas that accept books.<\/a><\/p>\n Most organizations provide tax receipts for donations, which can be claimed on your taxes. IRS Publication 526 (2023), Charitable Contributions<\/a>, states that “Generally, you can deduct contributions of money or property you make to, or for the use of, a qualified organization.” <\/i>and “You can deduct your contributions only if you make them to a qualified organization.” <\/i><\/p>\n So, if you donate books to an organization that fits this description, you can qualify for a tax deduction. However, please note that this is not a piece of legal advice, and you need to consult your tax specialist for a comprehensive answer. If you aren\u2019t ready to part with your used books for free, you can sell them to thrift bookstores and online platforms with buyback programs.<\/p>\n You can always go to BookScouter<\/a> to find the best offers all in one place. It\u2019s a great price comparison platform to sell, buy, and rent used books. It\u2019s a convenient buyback resource finder as it offers comparisons of prices from different vendors (30+) and can be used both by users who sell their books from time to time and seasoned scouts (you can check our\u00a0 BookScouter Pro Tools<\/a> review to get all the details).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to make a bit of money from your old textbooks, educational materials, or even trade paperbacks you no longer need, BookScouter should be on your list of resources.<\/p>\n We\u00a0 also recommend checking out our previous articles about the best local buyback places and online resources in Atlanta<\/a>, Ashburn<\/a>, Denver<\/a>, Chicago<\/a>, Dallas<\/a>, Los Angeles<\/a>, San Diego<\/a>, Boston<\/a>, and Seattle<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today, we\u2019ll discuss one of the most popular ways of decluttering: giving your old books a new life by donating them to other people and organizations. This post will be helpful if you have a few (or many reads) you want to get rid of in bulk without a hassle. We already covered New York […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":10864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[147,148,209],"tags":[1143,1142],"class_list":["post-10746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green_tips","category-all_about_books","category-using_your_textbook","tag-book-donation-ny","tag-where-to-donate-books-in-new-york"],"modified_by":"Abigail White","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
Local Places to Donate Books in New York<\/h2>\n
![\"Housing](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Housing-Works-volunteer-opportunities.webp\")
Housing Works Bookstore Caf\u00e9<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: Housing Works Bookstore Caf\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-New-Lion-Logo-for-NYPL-e1737447384741.jpeg\"){kind=logo}
The New York Public Library (NYPL)<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: NYPL<\/a><\/p>\n![\"strandbooks\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/strandbooks.jpg\")
The Strand<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: Strand<\/a><\/p>\n![\"greenlightbookstore\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/greenlightbookstore.jpg\")
Greenlight Bookstore<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: Greenlight Bookstore<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Brooklyn-Public-Library-1024x375.png\")
The Brooklyn Public Library<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: The Brooklyn Public Library<\/a><\/p>\n![\"booksthroughbarsnyc\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/booksthroughbarsnyc.png\")
Books Through Bars<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: Books Through Bars<\/a><\/p>\n![\"satruck\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/satruck-e1737448585101.jpg\")
The Salvation Army\u2014Greater New York Division<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: The Salvation Army<\/a><\/p>\n![\"readingreflections\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/readingreflections-org.png\")
Reading Reflections<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite: <\/b>Reading Reflections<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Staten](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Staten-Island-Libraries\u2014Todt-Hill-Westerleigh-Library.jpg\")
Staten Island Libraries\u2014Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library<\/h3>\n![\"reachoutandreadnyc\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/reachoutandreadnyc-1024x662.png\")
Reach Out and Read NYC<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite<\/b>: Reach Out and Read NYC<\/a><\/p>\n![\"East](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/East-Village-Books-NYC.png\")
East Village Books NYC<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite: <\/b>East Village Books NYC<\/a><\/p>\n![\"westsiderbooks\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/westsiderbooks-e1737449430461.png\")
Westsider Rare & Used Books Inc.<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite: <\/b>Westsider Rare & Used Books<\/a><\/p>\n![\"ReLIT](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ReLIT-NY-Read-Recycle-Repeat-Literature-In-Transit.webp\")
ReLIT NY<\/h3>\n![\"thebookfairies\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/thebookfairies.png\")
The Book Fairies<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite:<\/b> The Book Fairies<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Book-Cellar.png\")
The Book Cellar<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite: <\/b>The Book Cellar NYC<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Room](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Room-to-Grow-1024x910.jpg\")
Room to Grow<\/h3>\n
\nWebsite: <\/b>Room to Grow<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nOnline Alternatives for Donating Books<\/h2>\n
![\"betterworldbooks\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/betterworldbooks.png\")
Better World Books<\/h3>\n![\"Book](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Book-Mooch-e1737449242790.jpg\")
Book Mooch<\/h3>\n![\"givebackbox\"](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/givebackbox-1024x724.jpg\")
Give Back Box<\/h3>\n![\"World](\"https:\/\/bookscouter.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/World-Literacy-Foundation.png\")
World Literacy Foundation<\/h3>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nFAQs<\/a><\/h2>\n
1. What types of books can I donate?<\/h3>\n
2. Can I donate textbooks?<\/h3>\n
3. Do I need to organize my titles?<\/h3>\n
4. How do I donate books in NYC?<\/h3>\n
5. Are there book donation centers in Staten Island or Brooklyn?<\/h3>\n
6. Is there a tax benefit for donating books in NYC?<\/h3>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nHow to Sell Your Books in NY: An Alternative to Donating<\/h2>\n