ways to ditch books, particularly tech books?

[rmd]

I have a bunch of books that are unlikely to be appropriate for goodwill, but might have uses besides holding up uneven table legs or being recycled. Many of them are tech books, some slightly out of date, some historical relics (pdp-11 era, for example).

Anyone have suggestions for disposing of them? If not, I'll probably just tear the covers off the hardcovers and send them off to the great paper recycling bin in the sky on franey road.

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

are there tech museums (the mit museum maybe, but there are others) which might like the relics?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i tried a few computer museums for the oldest ('introduction to programming' for pdp-8 era minicomputers), but they all already had copies.

[bryant]

Got Books will pick them up, no charge. They're probably not as benevolent as they claim, since they operate a couple of big used bookstores out in the suburbs, but they do some good and IMHO it's a better bet than recycling. I've used 'em a few times.

[istemi.livejournal.com]

They donate at least some of the money they raise.

From http://www.gotbooks.com/why_give_us_books.php :

"TOP TEN REASONS TO DONATE YOUR BOOKS:
10. It’s easy! We offer a FREE pick-up service & hundreds of drop-off locations.
9. We'll find a great new use for your books and other items.
8. Donating books you don't need allows them to go to someone who does!
7. They're sold at our Charity Book Sale & 50% of profits go to local nonprofit groups.
6. Books are sent overseas through our Books for Troops program.
5. Local teachers get free books through our Books for Teachers program.
4. Books are donated to schools, kids causes, and other groups in need.
3. Books donated in drop-off containers raise money for the groups hosting them!
2. Donating books keeps them out of the trash!
1. We find new uses for books so no books will EVER go to waste!"

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

JB is taking a bog box of same to MIT on Tuesday for folks to take or for the CS dept. to claim. Don't know if that would work for these, but its an idea

[solarbird]

Checked with powells.com? They'll pay US shipping if they want them:

http://www.powells.com/sellonline

[rmd.livejournal.com]

huh! Powell's does online purchasing? i Did Not Know That.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

why inappropriate for Goodwill? I see tech books at the Davis location all the time, some of which I buy (out of date but only 99 cents for any paperback, as most tech books are). It doesn't sound like you shop the books at goodwill that often, but unemployed people who need to at least sound knowledgeable/get a basis in various techs find the tech manuals at Goodwill pretty important.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

oh, i figure something like an old c++ book would be fine there, and that's in my 'send to goodwill' pile. a 20 year old book on 'power systems analysis and design' is probably a bit too niche for goodwill, i'd think.

[unclebooboo.livejournal.com]

You haven't given a really complete description of what you've got, but most older technical books have little technical value. The exceptions would be stuff related to the very early (1950's and early 1960's) computers and scholarly books that are out of print and were originally printed in a short print run. Powells will buy stuff that they can resell, it doesn't sound like what you have is of much value.

I'd donate it to your local "Friends of the library" organization. They'll sell what they can and the rest will end up going to paper recycling or (horrors) the landfill.

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

I'd actually go further than that: if they're not useful to someone, then I wouldn't give them to the library either. Try freecycle, then recycle.

[flabosib.livejournal.com]

Our church has a big metal bin in the parking lot. For every pound of books put in the bin, the church gets a nickel. There are no limitations as to what condition the books need to be in or if they need to be current. I can email you the church address privately if you like.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

just books or all paper? (and if it's all paper, do hardcovers count or do they have to have the covers stripped off since they're cardboard?)

if it's all paper and the bin is general access, let me know, since one of my gripes with the franey road DPW yard is that the random-paper bin is only available during their business hours.