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Places to Ditch Your Books (Go Digital)

Books collection

Some people are under the impression that the only reason to get rid of books is if you are downsizing into a smaller apartment. This is not true. It does not matter if you are moving into a small studio apartment in downtown Manhattan or if you are finally getting out of the studio and into a one bedroom, there are plenty of good reasons to find places to ditch your books and go digital. There is a good chance that you already have an electronic reader anyway, so do you need to keep those paperback books too?

Why Switch to an Electronic Reader?

Electronic readers are not just new toys like gaming consoles that people want but don’t really need. Although you don’t necessarily need a reader, the environment, and the forests need you to make the switch. Other reasons include:

  • You only have to pack one thing whether you are going to the beach or on vacation, rather than a bag full of books.
  • You can get virtually any book at any time of the day or night without leaving your house.
  • With most readers you can use them at night without the need for a nightlight, so you can read in bed without disturbing your partner.
  • You have the ability to bookmark, highlight, look up words, etc.
  • They are more comfortable to hold than a book, thereby relieving strain from your wrist.

Ditching Your Books

Don’t even think about throwing those old books away, though, and they do not need to go in the recycle bin. There are plenty of places to get rid of your books, either to make a little money or for free.

  • eBay – Selling books on eBay is easy. Don’t expect to make a ton of money, but if you do have any rare or signed books in your collection, you may be surprised at what you can get for them.
  • Nonprofit – There are plenty of nonprofit organizations, such as animal rescues, that will take in donations to sell at garage sales all season long to make extra money. They will be happy to take them off your hands.
  • Goodwill – Book donations can be resold through Goodwill and proceeds go to training and placement programs for individuals facing unemployment challenges.
  • Libraries – Many libraries are slowly dying due to lack of funding, which is extremely unfortunate. Most will accept books that are in good condition to stock the shelves, or they are involved in bookmobiles or other programs to help the less fortunate have access to books.
  • Reading Tree – There are donation centers for Reading Tree across the country. They donate them to underfunded schools and libraries in the United States and overseas. If they don’t have a donation center near you, you can request a shipping crate from their site.
  • Books for Africa – You do not realize how much you have until you have been to parts of Africa. This organization ships freight containers of books there for students to enjoy.
  • Books Through Bars – Donated books to this organization are distributed to inmates. Having books available for prisoners inspires learning, higher education and the yearning for a better life when they get out.

One of the biggest benefits of going digital is not paying your small apartment movers to carry, load, unload and carry all these unnecessary boxes. After all, time is money!

About the author

Unpakt Team