What to do with Decluttered Books.
Books tend to build up quickly, don’t they? If you are an avid reader, chances are you have several bookcases if not boxes of books, and those books may be hard for you to part with. If you are on a mission to declutter and having a hard time trying to decide what to do with all of the books you no longer read, we have some helpful suggestions. Here are 8 Things to Do with Books You Will No Longer Read, so you can give those books new life long after you are done with them!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon and/or Etsy, which means that I may earn a small commission from some of the links in this post. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.
And remember, just because you’re getting rid of a paperback/hardcover version of a book, doesn’t mean you have to part with the story forever! I decluttered a lot of books recently, and my favorites I wound up re-buying in the Kindle versions. That way I can still re-read them, but they’re not taking up space in my home.
If you haven’t decluttered yet, you should get our ebook Throw it Out!: How to Tame the Mess Monster and Declutter Your Home! You should also read through our list of 100 things to throw away today! And if you want to try Marie Kondo’s decluttering technique, you should ask yourself these 7 questions before starting the KonMari method!
8 Things to Do with Books You Will No Longer Read
1. See if a local after school club or program can use them.
One of the best things to do with books you don’t want is to donate them! Find a local after school club in your area and see if they can use your donations. Chances are they serve many members of the community, so having books on hand always helps. Donate your children’s and education related books for them to enjoy. If you don’t have one of these centers in your neighborhood, you can always see if a local tutoring clinic or club can use them.
2. Sell them online.
Of course, one of the most profitable things to do with book you’ll no longer read is to sell them. Head to eBay where unique and rare books tend to sell well. You can also sell all sorts of books, even manuals and textbooks, on Amazon. You might be surprised at how much even some of the older books are bringing in. And if you love apps, head to your smartphone or tablet’s app store where you can find all sort of buy, sell, trade apps that deal with only books.
3. Look for a local missionary group to take them.
Many churches have missionary groups that travel abroad and help communities in need. See if they are interested in taking your leftover books. They may be able to use them in the communities they visit. If not, they can always sell them to raise funds for their trip.
4. Donate magazines to local clinics.
Local public clinics often times don’t have a budget for waiting room reading material. Donate your read magazines to them so they have something to place in the waiting room. You can also see if your local hair salon may want them. People love to read while they wait.
5. Donate them to a local school.
New books are expensive, and since schools work on tight budgets, they can always use donations. See if a local school can use your gently used kids books. Novels and cookbooks can also be donated to local high schools, as the literature department and home ec teachers may be able to utilize them. If anything, even a box of books for the teachers to rummage through for free may be a big hit!
6. Donate to the troops and veterans.
If your books are just gently used, you can donate them to Operation Paperback. They’ll give your books to American troops overseas and veterans and military families in the U.S. They even give children’s books to deployed soldiers so they can read to their kids on webcam or via DVDs! This is such a great way to give your books a second life while helping other people at the same time!
7. Use the pages for crafts.
This is probably one of the more surprising things to do with books you’ve decluttered, but the truth is that book pages make great craft materials. Is there a book you have duplicates of? Or perhaps you know it isn’t a book of huge value? You can use old books for all sorts of crafts. Turn old books into trinket boxes, use the pages for decoupage, and more! Here are 10 book page upcycle DIY projects you may want to try!
8. Check with a local antique store.
If you have older books (40+ years old) you may be able to sell them to a local antique dealer. Take some photos of what you have and stop in at a local antique shop. Most of these shops will let you sell them your vintage items, and books are no exception.
Don’t let those unused books collect dust any longer. Instead, consider these 7 things to do with books you no longer read and see how you can give those books life long after you finish the last chapter!
What do you do with books you’ve read?
You might also be interested in: 7 Things to Do With Clothing You No Longer Want
