8
Contact larger libraries.
I live in NYC and the public libraries here literally throw away tons of books every year. The big city libraries and colleges in your area probably do the same.
^^ This is very good. Also schools! I had a highschool giving out literal trucks of books a couple times.
Have you tried your local thrift store? Maybe librarians might know where to get books cheaply/donations?
Thrift stores are definitely a good and cheap option. They may even work with you to provide a steep discount with a higher quantity purchase.
First of all, good on you
Would your local independent/radical bookshop be willing to help with some donations or discounts?
Or are ebooks an option? I think verso or other might have options but the may be blocked by fascist prison state
Find a small used book store. Odds are very good that they discard quite a few books in any given week, not necessarily because they are garbage, but because they just haven't sold, or they have too many copies, or they might have comparatively minor condition issues that preclude them from selling in the store. They may give them to you, or sell them to you at a steep discount.
Honestly? Go on Facebook marketplace or the buy-nothing groups. Tell them you want free books. People have piles of books in their houses they just don't care about. I've got a ton of kids books I want to give away. And I could part with a bunch of my adult ones too.
But shipping is expensive. So you'll want to look local.
Talk to other libraries
this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2026
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