[Michlib-l] Discard books - the good, the bad, the ugly - the list

[Caryn Noel]

Hello all -

It's taken me a bit, but I've consolidated everyone's replies into a single email.  Thank you to everyone for your thoughts - all responses are appreciated! - Caryn


-          We remove barcodes and redact ownership stamps/labels, then send them to the dumpster.



-          Here at Ann Arbor District Library, things that are in decent enough shape go to Better World Books. If they're not up to those standards, they go on our Friends of the Library "Free" shelves so people can take them and enrich their lives with 'em. And if they're just not salvageable, they're either used for programs (upcycling books into ornaments and other decorations) or recycled.



-          We sell them in our used book ???store??? or we take them to our local goodwill store.



-          Friends of the library book sale, church sales, AAUW book sales, Better Way Books bins (think the old Goodwill bin in the Meijer parking lot), Little Free Libraries, use for craft projects as altered books or as in _Ish_ / Peter Reynolds, your local daycare or schools may want for their crafts, local artists coop for the same reason, use as "book buddy" when gluing items in your mending pile (we've broken too many rubber bands looping and relooping but stacking book buddies and multiple bands works dandy), wrap them up and use as book props (think of spice shelves that are stepped). Of course all this depends on why you're ditching the book in the first place--mold and mildew get trashed, the tenth copy of the latest James Patterson goes to the sale, etc.



-          We have *lots* which makes Better World Books a good option for us.  They will take care of shipping and provide boxes but only for shipments at least 40 boxes.  They are a bit picky about what they accept (no outdated, no encyclopedias, good condition, etc.). Our FOL has found some other sources for us from time to time, but mostly for children's books.  Even the recycling options are tenuous right now.



-          Delta has a large sustainability program.  We have a "free" book tables located outside of the library.  After the books are taken out of the catalog and de-processed, sustainability weighs them and puts them out on the free table.  It's amazing what gets taken.  We are getting rid of several large sets of reference books that are no longer needed or kept up to date (such as Something About the Author).  I looked for takers but couldn't find any.  These are not candidates for our free table, so we are going to cut the covers off and recycle the insides.  Some of the sustainability student assistants take our books for workshops on book folding. Delta also has a sister college in Kenya, and I'm working on sending some of the best discards to them if I can get funding for postage.



-          We recently donated a couple of thousand books to St. Vincent de Paul.  They came and picked it all up, didn't take long (they assured me that it wasn't even that much, they handle a LOT of donations).  They're in their thrift shops, and the proceeds go to fund their charitable endeavors (shelters, soup kitchens, etc.).  I think they give some out for free at shelters as well.  I'm sure they end up pitching some of it, but if even a quarter found another use, it's more than I could do.



-          Our last resource for books that have gone through our book sales or our Little Free Library go to our recycling center. Our county jail has a work crew that handles different projects. They pick up our books, cut the covers off any hardcovers, and recycle all the paper. It's been a great program here and only the covers go in the landfill.



Have a great day, one and all.  Thanks for sharing all of your suggestions - Caryn



[Email-Signature-Seal.jpg]<http://www.walshcollege.edu/>

Caryn Noel, MLIS
Library Director
Walsh College
Troy, Novi, Clinton Twp., Port Huron
O: 248-823-1254
cnoel at walshcollege.edu<mailto:cnoel at walshcollege.edu>
Connect on LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdevera/> | Follow on Twitter<http://www.twitter.com/walshcollege> | Like on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/WalshCollegeOfficial>



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail3.mcls.org/pipermail/michlib-l/attachments/20190520/ddb3070c/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3507 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://mail3.mcls.org/pipermail/michlib-l/attachments/20190520/ddb3070c/attachment.jpg>