Open Books :: Donate

When we open our store in spring 2009, we will sell donated books to raise money for our in-house literacy programs and classes. In the meantime, we 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.

There are a few categories of books we can’t use and don’t accept.
Do Not Want...

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, etc.

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 Outdated textbooks, reference guides, manuals, and so on are not really useful to us or our customers, and so we prefer not to incur the cost of storing and processing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:

- 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

- Videocassettes, DVDs, records, etc., except for complete sets of recorded books

- 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?

No. At the moment, we only take 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, videocassettes, and DVDs?

No. Although all these things 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. Pickups are on hold through August 15, 2008.

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 really appreciate your helping us make the process as efficient as possible. Generally, if you have 3 boxes/bags of books or more, pickup is a great option. If you only have a few, consider holding on to them until you have more, or pooling them with your friends and neighbors to reach 3 boxes/bags or more.

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., Suite 305 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 305, 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 during business hours (M-F, 9-5) at 213 W. Institute Pl., Suite 305, Chicago IL 60610. If you need to drop them after hours or on a weekend, contact us to make arrangements.

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.

Ready to donate? Great! Here are the best ways to get your books to us.

Have Us Pick Them Up
(Chicago only)

Do you live in the city and have books for us to pick up? Great!
Just fill out the easy form to get started.

Drop Them Off At /
Send Them To:

213 W. Institute Pl.
Suite 305
Chicago, IL 60610
M-F, 9-5
Call 312.475.8243 first
to make sure we're not
out at a literacy program.

Make sure to bring/include a
Book Donation Slip (.pdf)
if you'd like a tax receipt.

Questions? Just let us know:
books@open-books.org