Book Donation Guide: The Good, The Bad, and The Moldy
- Blair Asbury
- Sep 25
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 8
First, a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who donates books to Friends of Chelsea Library! Your generosity directly supports library programs, from children’s events to adult workshops, and the impact is more significant than you might realize.
We love receiving your gently used books. They’re the lifeblood of our organization. The excitement of opening boxes of donations never gets old. Will we find a rare first edition? A beloved classic someone will treasure? Or perhaps the exact title a regular customer has been searching for? Each donation brings possibility and purpose to readers across Chelsea and beyond.
But here’s the thing. As anyone who’s volunteered at our sorting sessions knows, not all donated books can find new homes through our sales. Sometimes we open a box and immediately reach for gloves and masks. Other times, we sigh at the well-meaning donation of encyclopedias from 1976 (a great year for many things, but not for current reference material).
As someone who struggles to part with books myself (my spouse has threatened an “intervention” about my own collection), I understand the desire to find good homes for beloved reads. The books we surround ourselves with often carry emotional weight beyond their content—they mark periods of our lives, remind us of people we’ve loved, or represent aspirations we still hold. That being said, not all books are a good fit for donation.
This used book donation guide will help you determine which books make our volunteers do a happy dance and which make us reach for our hazmat suits. Plus, we’ll share creative alternatives for those books we simply can’t accept, because every book deserves a meaningful second life.
What Makes Our Volunteers (and Shoppers) Do a Happy Dance
Our book sale shoppers come from all walks of life: students building their first collections, retirees pursuing new interests, parents seeking affordable books for their growing children, and collectors searching for treasures. They’re looking for materials in good condition that they’ll be excited to add to their own collections.
When we sort through donations, nothing makes us happier than finding books that are clean, complete, and contemporary. These items not only sell quickly but also bring in the most funds to support our library programs. Books in excellent condition generate significantly more revenue per item than those showing substantial wear.
Fiction remains our bestselling category, with popular novels, mysteries, and science fiction flying off the tables. Children’s books are another hot commodity, especially picture books and chapter books for elementary-aged readers. We’ve noticed that young adult fiction has also experienced a surge in popularity, with parents and teens alike scooping up these titles.
In the non-fiction realm, true crime books are favorites, while history buffs eagerly browse our biography section, and hobby and craft books appeal to creative minds seeking their next project.
Here’s what typically sells like hotcakes at our book sales:
Fiction Gold Mine
Popular novels in good condition (especially bestsellers from the last decade)
Classics—we can never have enough Jane Austen or Agatha Christie!
Children’s books with all pages clean and intact
Young adult series
Non-Fiction Winners
Books published within the last 5 to 10 years (fresher content = higher demand)
Cookbooks with drool-worthy photos
History, biographies, and memoirs
Current reference materials that people actually us
We’re also delighted to receive specialty items that showcase our regional heritage. Books about Alabama or by local authors hold special appeal for our community. Likewise, collectible editions, signed copies, and coffee table books in excellent condition often become the highlight of our sales.
Beyond books, we welcome DVDs, audiobooks, and complete puzzles or board games. These items diversify our offerings and attract shoppers who might not otherwise attend a book sale—expanding our community impact even further.
What Makes Us Reach for the Hazmat Suits (Regretfully)
Every volunteer has a story about “the box”—that donation that made everyone in the sorting room gasp, step back, or laugh in disbelief.
My personal favorite was a collection that arrived with a handwritten note saying, “These belonged to Great-Aunt Mildred,” which, judging by the impressive variety of multicolored mold, had been stored in Great-Aunt Mildred’s cellar since approximately the time of the Roosevelt administration.
While we appreciate every donation attempt, we cannot accept items that pose health risks, are too damaged to sell, or are so outdated that they no longer hold value for our customers. These items actually create a burden for our organization, as we must then divert volunteer hours and resources to disposing of them properly.
Water damage is particularly problematic in our humid Alabama climate. Books that have been wet develop a distinctive ripple to their pages and often harbor hidden mold that can spread to other books. Even slight water exposure can make pages stick together or create stains that render books unsellable.
Mold and mildew aren’t just aesthetically unpleasant—they’re legitimate health hazards. Many people suffer from mold allergies, and even those who are not allergic can experience respiratory issues from exposure. For the safety of our volunteers and customers, we cannot accept books with any signs of mold or mildew, regardless of the extent of the damage.
The condition of a book dramatically affects its salability and reader experience. While we understand that loved books show wear, there’s a difference between gentle use and structural damage. Books with broken spines, loose pages, or missing covers won’t sell and, more importantly, won’t provide an enjoyable reading experience.
Here’s what we unfortunately cannot accept:
Damaged Books
Water or liquid damage (rippled pages, stains, warping)
Missing pages or covers
Broken spines or bindings
Excessive highlighting or writing throughout
Health Hazards
Anything with mold or mildew (even small spots)
Books with that telltale musty smell
Items with pest damage or evidence of critters
Books that are dusty or dirty
Outdated Materials
Encyclopedias (yes, even complete sets in perfect condition—Google wins this battle)
Computer manuals over 3 years old
Textbooks and reference materials more than 5 years old
Out-of-date medical or legal information
Good vs. Bad: A Visual Book Donation Guide
Understanding the difference between acceptable and unacceptable book donations sometimes requires knowing what to look for. Think of yourself as a book detective. Here’s what clues to watch for.
A book in good condition opens easily but doesn’t fall open (which indicates a broken spine). The pages are clean and unmarked, with perhaps light pencil notes that don’t interfere with reading.
Hardcover books (preferably with their dust jackets intact) have minimal tears or wear. When you run your hand across the top of the book block (the edges of the pages), it feels smooth rather than wavy.
In contrast, a book with water damage often has a distinctive wavy pattern to the pages, especially visible when looking at the book block from above. The cover may be warped or bubbled, and there might be water stains—ranging from slight discoloration to pronounced brown marks—on the covers or pages.
Mold can be tricky to spot for the uninitiated. It often appears as black, green, or white speckling along the edges of pages or in the gutter (the inner margin where pages meet the spine). Sometimes it presents as fuzzy patches or discoloration. A musty smell is often a giveaway for hidden mold. If a book smells damp or earthy, it likely has mold beginning to form, even if you can’t see it yet.
Structural issues, such as loose pages or detached covers, are usually obvious. However, a subtler problem is a broken hinge, where the endpapers that attach the text block to the covers have separated. This damage means the book won’t last through many more readings.
While some wear is acceptable—a reading crease on a paperback spine or lightly bumped corners on a hardcover—excessive wear makes a book less appealing to buyers. Remember, people at our sales are looking for books they’ll enjoy owning and reading, not just any book at a discount.
Giving Unwanted Books New Life: Creative Alternatives That Actually Work
Parting with books can feel like saying goodbye to old friends, especially when you learn they’re not suitable for donation. But here’s the good news: Books that can’t find new readers can still serve meaningful purposes through recycling, upcycling, and creative repurposing.
Paper recycling programs have shown remarkable success in giving books new life. Most paperbacks can go directly into your paper recycling bin, although it’s best to check your specific municipal guidelines. Hardcovers require a bit more preparation—typically, you’ll need to remove the cover from the text block since the binding materials are often different from the paper.
Recommended Reading
For the creatively inclined, old books offer excellent raw materials for art and craft projects. I’ve seen beautiful wreaths made from rolled book pages, delicate paper flowers that preserve favorite passages, and sculptural origami pieces created by folding pages in intricate patterns. We even turned damaged books into a charming pennant garland decor for our book sales.
Book page origami has become increasingly popular, with online tutorials showing how to fold pages into hearts, stars, animals, and geometric designs. These creations make thoughtful gifts that give new purpose to books that can no longer be read. Paper mache is another fantastic way to repurpose book pages—the text adds visual interest to bowls, vases, or decorative objects.
For books with minimal damage that aren’t suitable for our sales, consider donating them to local Little Free Libraries. These neighborhood book exchanges often welcome gently used books, particularly popular fiction and children’s titles. Schools and senior living facilities may also accept specific types of donations for their libraries or activity programs.
Art teachers sometimes welcome old books for classroom projects, allowing students to experiment with book art, collage, or blackout poetry—where artists create poems by selecting words on a page and blacking out the rest. These educational applications extend the book’s impact far beyond its original purpose.
How to Donate to Friends of the Chelsea Library (The Easy Way)
Now that you’ve sorted through your collection and identified books in good condition, bringing them to us is simple. We accept donations at the Chelsea Public Library front desk during regular library hours.
To ensure a smooth process for everyone, please limit your donations to 1 to 2 boxes or bags per visit. This helps ensure we have adequate storage space and that our volunteers can process donations efficiently. If you’re cleaning out an extensive collection or an entire house, please get in touch with us in advance to arrange a special drop-off time.
When packing your donations, sturdy boxes or reusable shopping bags work best. Please make sure boxes aren’t too heavy for our volunteers to lift safely—many of us have stubborn backs that remind us we’re not 20 anymore! Securing the bottom of boxes with extra tape prevents the dreaded “bottom-drops-out” scenario in the parking lot.
If you’re unsure about specific items, feel free to email us with photos or descriptions. We’re happy to provide guidance before you make the trip. This saves everyone time and ensures your books find their best possible homes.
Turning Pages, Changing Lives
Every book you donate helps us support Chelsea Public Library’s mission of fostering literacy, education, and community connection. Your donations support children’s programming, including Tot Time and Musical Munchkins, technology upgrades for public computers, special events and author visits, as well as adult education programs that serve hundreds of community members each year.
These enhancements benefit everyone in our community, from toddlers attending their first storytime to seniors researching family history. But the impact goes even deeper. When you donate quality books, you’re contributing to a sustainable cycle of literacy that strengthens our entire community’s educational foundation.
When deciding what to donate, here’s a simple rule of thumb that serves everyone well: ask yourself, “Would I give this to a friend?” If the answer is yes, we’d love to have it. If not, it might be better destined for one of our creative alternatives. This mindfulness ensures that your donations truly benefit our library while finding worthy homes for books of all kinds.
Thank you for helping us keep Chelsea reading, learning, and growing together!
Our Biggest Book Sale Ever!
We invite you to see the fruits of your generosity at our next book sale on Saturday, October 11, from 9am to 1pm at the Chelsea Community Center.
Nothing beats the satisfaction of watching eager readers discover books you’ve donated, knowing that both the books and the proceeds from their sale are enriching our community.
Friends of Chelsea Library is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Chelsea Public Library through fundraising, advocacy, and volunteer service. 100% of proceeds from our book sales directly benefit library programs and resources that serve our community.
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