Donation of books in Canberra?

girliesmummy said :

I’m pretty sure any of the charities would accept donations of books if you took them to their stores (Vinnies, Salvos…) But don’t put them in the charity bins you find in carparks as those are for clothes only. It would be a shame to be penalised for trying to help a charity.

You can drop books in the special Lifeline bin at the back of their premises in Mitchell. (Check address, I can’t remember.)
Just don’t expect any help with lifting. There was an not-too-old man there when I was struggling to move my books. I asked ‘Are you a helper here?’ ‘Yes,’ he said ‘I’m a volunteer.’ And continued to watch me bust a gut without helping. Very strange. But it’s a useful charity.

I’d love to take them off your hands if there are any they don’t want! I’m a pre-service teacher and trying to build up a small library for any future students!

Thanks everyone…I came across a recent post here about donating clothes I think it was to Gallilee which is an organisation that helps disadvantaged kids. I contacted them and will drop the books off next week. Thanks for the feedback!

I’m pretty sure any of the charities would accept donations of books if you took them to their stores (Vinnies, Salvos…) But don’t put them in the charity bins you find in carparks as those are for clothes only. It would be a shame to be penalised for trying to help a charity.

A few years ago we were in the same situation. My partner was doing some community work through BCS at the time, and so we gave the books to the family he was working with.

They would probably never have had any other way of affording books in the house for their kids, and the books were more valued by them than anyone else we’ve donated to. I would do it that way again.

We buy a lot of books. Over the years, we’ve donated to schools, preschools, ACT Library and the NLA. Apart from the NLA (who loved our special, out-of-print books), the rest say thanks, but they could easily live without the donation.

Morgan said :

Have you thought about the O’Connor Co-Operative Preschool? Or a similar school.

I suspect O’Connor Co-op does not qualify as a ‘struggling’ anything – it had the 2nd highest socio-economic score in NSW/ACT on the myschools website. (my kids went there – fantastic school. Not ‘struggling’ however, at least any more than any other public school).

Schools generally won’t take 2nd hand books for their libraries, but will of course take them for their fetes.

You could possibly donate them to a local women’s refuge centre. They always need stuff like that.

Have you thought about the O’Connor Co-Operative Preschool? Or a similar school.

Lifeline Canberra is always looking for books for their bookfairs:

http://www.act.lifeline.org.au/Bookfair/DonatingBooks/tabid/145/Default.aspx