Book Donation Guide
What Books Can You Donate? Condition Guide & What We Accept
The golden rule: if you'd hand it to a friend, it's donatable. Here's the full breakdown used by our Franklin Park sorting team.
What items are accepted for book donation?
Books in every genre and category, from fiction and non-fiction to children's books, textbooks, encyclopedias, old classics, and new bestsellers, plus movies on DVD and Blu-ray, CDs, video games, and comic books. All of it can go in the same boxes for a Knowledge Exchange pickup in the Chicago suburbs.
What condition do donated books need to be in?
Reusable condition: readable, intact, and dry. Shelf wear, a cracked spine, or an inscription on the flyleaf is fine. Not acceptable: mold, mildew smell, water damage, missing covers or pages, or heavy pet/smoke exposure. One moldy book really can spoil a truckload, so when in doubt, recycle it curbside instead.
Can you donate old textbooks and encyclopedias?
Yes. Some recent-edition textbooks go to students at well below bookstore prices, and others are donated to readers in communities that need them; older textbooks and encyclopedia sets are accepted too, and what can't be reused is responsibly recycled rather than landfilled. Most libraries won't shelve these, so a book-specialist service is usually the right destination.
What can't be donated at all?
Magazines and newspapers, VHS and cassette tapes, and anything moldy or water-damaged. Magazines and newsprint go straight into your curbside recycling; damaged books should too (remove hard covers first, since most curbside programs take the pages but not the binding).
How should donated books be packed?
Boxes or sturdy bags only, never loose books. Fill containers as full as you can while keeping each under 50 lbs (a standard banker's box of books hits the limit fast). For pickup, have at least 3 boxes ready and set them out by 8 AM on your scheduled day.
Have 3 boxes or more?
See your neighborhood's pickup dates, free across the Chicago suburbs.