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2010 is Open Books' biggest year yet! With YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, we'll expand our current programs at schools across the city, add new ones in our classrooms, and spread the word at our flagship bookstore.
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Donate online
via PayPal!
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We depend on your donations of used books and your commitment to volunteering, and the Open Books community has proven itself extraordinarily dedicated on both these fronts.
Now we're calling on you to step up and make a financial gift...
Your $50 donation
will help match an at-risk high school student with an Open Books VWrite mentor
Your $100 donation
matches an elementary school student with a Reading Buddy for an entire semester
Your $250 donation
saves 12,000 books from landfills
Thank you in advance for making it possible for Open Books to enrich the lives of thousands through reading, writing, and the community-driven power of used books!
Prefer to send a check? Great! Our address is:
Open Books213 W. Institute Pl. Suite 207 Chicago, IL 60610 Do you have questions about giving? Want to talk about major, matching, or special gifts?
Let us know!
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Would you like to donate BOOKS? We gladly accept sellable books in good condition from individuals, corporations, philanthropic groups, libraries, book sales, and so on! All book donations are tax-deductible.
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We sell donated books to raise money for our in-house literacy programs and classes. We also use them in our outreach efforts across the city and sell them online and at small events to support our current literacy initiatives.
We welcome any sellable book in good condition. This includes fiction, nonfiction, craft books, cookbooks, children's books, and more! The point of our bookselling is to raise money for literacy classes, so keep that goal in mind when you think about books you may have for us. The more likely someone is to buy them, the more good we can do with their sale. Attention, authors and publishers! While we welcome all donations, we are currently only able to accept up to 20 copies of the same title. If you have overstocks of titles that you may think relate to our programs and would like to see if we can use them, please contact us at books@open-books.org.
There are a few categories of books we can't use and don't accept.
Do Not Want...
Do Not Want List
The following kinds of books are ones we don't need and can't use. If they come to us as donations, we waste valuable time sorting and discarding them, and storing them before the sorting process costs money we could be putting towards literacy programs.
So, please DO NOT DONATE:
- Children's books published before 1986
- Magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.
- Yearbooks
- Ad books, conference programs, etc.
- Alumni directories, phone books, etc.
- Study guides, Cliffs Notes, etc.
- Test strategy or college admissions guides
- Encyclopedias
- Multivolume reference sets
- Summaries, digests, indexes, etc.
- Textbooks
- Course materials, syllabi, supplements, workbooks, etc.
- Damaged books (coverless, missing pages, broken spines, underlining, etc.)
- Instruction or operation manuals
- Computer programming guides, software, or usage manuals
- Dictionaries and thesauri
While we can't use any more dictionaries, Bibles, or other reference materials, we have a partner who can! Chicago Books to Women in Prison is always in need of softbound dictionaries, self-help, recovery/addiction, spiritual/religion, and other related types of books. To get these books where they'll do the most good, just visit their Donations page.
Have a question? Check our Frequently Asked Questions list!
FAQ...
Book Donation FAQ
We want to make book donation a fun, easy, and rewarding process for everyone, and so we've provided the following list of common questions and answers. Have a question not answered here? Just let us know.
What kinds of books do you accept?
We welcome just about any usable hardback or paperback book in good condition: fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, biographies, plays, poetry, children's books published after 1985, etc.
Why don't you take children's books that were published before 1986?
Under the CPSIA, children's books published before 1986 need to be tested for lead before they can be offered for sale. We don't have the resources to do this, so we prefer not to accept them.
Any exceptions?
Yes, a few. Outdated textbooks, reference guides, manuals, and so on are not really useful to us or our customers, and so we prefer not to incur the cost of storing and processing them. Check out our
Do Not Want...
for more details of what we don't need and can't use.
Do Not Want List
The following kinds of books are ones we don't need and can't use. If they come to us as donations, we waste valuable time sorting and discarding them, and storing them before the sorting process costs money we could be putting towards literacy programs.
So, please DO NOT DONATE:
- Children's books published before 1986
- Magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.
- Yearbooks
- Ad books, conference programs, etc.
- Alumni directories, phone books, etc.
- Study guides, Cliffs Notes, etc.
- Test strategy or college admissions guides
- Encyclopedias
- Multivolume reference sets
- Summaries, digests, indexes, etc.
- Textbooks
- Course materials, syllabi, supplements, workbooks, etc.
- Damaged books (coverless, missing pages, broken spines, underlining, etc.)
- Instruction or operation manuals
- Computer programming guides, software, or usage manuals
- Dictionaries and thesauri
While we can't use any more dictionaries, Bibles, or other reference materials, we have a partner who can! Chicago Books to Women in Prison is always in need of softbound dictionaries, self-help, recovery/addiction, spiritual/religion, and other related types of books. To get these books where they'll do the most good, just visit their Donations page.
Do you accept books in languages other than English?
Yes, in limited quantities, though we prefer English-language books.
Do you accept audiobooks on tape or CD?
As long as all the tapes or CDs are in the package, yes, gladly! Audiobooks can be a great way to help people practice their reading skills, and we're always happy to accept them.
Do you accept magazines?
No. Although they can be wonderful aids to literacy, we only have so much shelf space, and we'd rather fill it with our main focus: books.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes! Open Books has been certified as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS, and we're happy to give you a tax receipt letter for your books.
How does book pickup in Chicago work? Will you arrange it to fit my schedule?
We pick up books in the city of Chicago according to need and mututally convenent schedule.
Is there a minimum number of books I need to have before scheduling a pickup?
We'll go to just about any lengths for books, but we need to be efficient, too.Generally, if you have 4 boxes/bags of books or more, pickup is a great option. If you have fewer than that, we'd be delighted to help you drop them off at our office, or to accept them via the shipping method of your choice.
How should I package my books? Do you provide boxes or bags?
For book pickups, any kind of box or bag is fine. Books can be heavy, so garbage bags may break: paper shopping bags are better, and small to medium-size boxes are wonderful. For shipping, any size box will do so long as it is securely taped. We'd love to provide boxes and bags, but it is just not possible.
I'm moving tomorrow! Can you come get my books today?
Maybe, but more likely you should drop them off with us at 213 W. Institute Pl.or consider sending them to us in the mail. Just note on the donation form that you have a tight deadline and we'll do our best to work with you.
I've got books to send you. How does it work?
We happily accept donations of books via FedEx, UPS, USPS, or the shipping service of your choice. We are no longer able to pay shipping costs, but boxes of books sent to us at 213 W. Institute Pl., Suite 207, Chicago, IL 60610 will be gratefully received and put to good use in the store.
I've got books to drop off to you. Where do I bring them and during what hours?
Great! You can drop off books at the store during business hours (M-Sa, 10am - 7pm) at 213 W. Institute Pl., Chicago, IL 60610.
I run a book sale. Will you take what's left over when we're finished?
Maybe! We are happy to work with book sales when scheduling, space, and resources permit. To see if we can help you, just contact us with specifics.
I work at a company, retirement home, or other community. Can I arrange a book drive here?
Absolutely! Just let us know when you'd like to do so, and we'll provide you with support for either a one-time or ongoing book drive.
I have an entire book collection I'd like to donate. There are far too many books for FedEx to handle, but I don't live in Chicago. Can you arrange a special out-of-state pickup?
Very possibly. Just contact us with full details and we'll see what we can do.
I have a question not answered in this list. What should I do?
OK. Let us know!
Are you interested in organizing a book drive for Open Books? Fantastic!
Here's how.
Book Drives
Do you work with a library, school, group, company, or association that would be interested in doing a book drive for us, or with a book sale looking for a place to donate quality unsold books? We'd love to work with you!
To get started, just contact us and let us know what you have in mind. Ready to donate? Wonderful! Here are the best ways to get your books to us.
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Would your company like to support literacy in Chicago? Our CORPORATE PROGRAM gives you 5 Fresh Ways to get involved, from book drives and bookshelves through events and sponsorship opportunities.
learn more...
We depend on your donations of used books and your commitment to volunteering, and the Open Books community has proven itself extraordinarily dedicated on both these fronts.
Now we're calling on you to step up and make a financial gift...
Your $50 donation
will help match an at-risk high school student with an Open Books VWrite mentor
Your $100 donation
gets a low-literacy adult into our WeWrite program to learn career and creative writing
Your $250 donation
saves 12,000 books from landfills
Your $500 donation
facilitates an entire semester of Reading Buddies for one high-need site
Thank you in advance for making it possible for Open Books to enrich the lives of thousands through reading, writing, and the community-driven power of used books!
Prefer to send a check?
Great! Our address is:
Open Books
213 W. Institute Pl.
Suite 305
Chicago, IL 60610 Do you have questions about giving? Want to talk about major, matching, or special gifts?
Let us know! |
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Want to help Open Books without leaving your desk? Try GoodShop and GoodSearch! We get a penny for every Web search you do and a commission on every purchase you make from your favorite retailers across the Web. |
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Looking for other ways to help just by shopping online? We're registered with Maatiam too! Just select us as your designated charity and we'll receive a commission on everything you buy from some of the biggest retailers on the Web. |
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What's even better than buying and selling on eBay? Helping Open Books at the same time! Just select us as your designated charity and we'll receive a percentage of the proceeds from items you list. |
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Want to support us around town? Enjoy a couture yogurt at Berry Chill! As part of their Culture Club program, Open Books will receive a donation for every delicious purchase you make. |
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