5 Reasons to Donate Your Books

Being a bibliophile, I know for a fact that letting go of ones books can be difficult. After all, we do live for our books. However, as I was clearing out my shelf and determining which books to give away for our 1-4-1000 book drive I found myself listing reasons to pass my older books to someone else’s hand.

#5 It will make space for new books. 

I know most book lovers have overflowing shelves and a room pouring out with books. At some point these books are getting deformed, attacked by book mites and being silently thrown away by your mother (ok, not everybody’s mother is like mine), which is a sad way to be if you’re a book. Rather than making your books face some painful end, give them away and make way for those new books you’re planning to read.

#4 It’s a guilt-free way of editing your shelf.

I know some bibliophiles find themselves with boxes of books they wish to erase from their memory. Some of these are bad books, some bleh books, and some books that just didn’t jive with you.  Often, these books take away shelf space (as in #5 reason) because they have no where else to go and book lovers hate seeing books thrown into the bin.  Donating to book drives are a guilt-free way of editing your book collection, because….

#3 It de-clutters your space.

This is probably an appeal to the OC-bibliophiles (like me….i know I’m sounding like a nut!) who can’t stand clutter.  I won’t expound on this, this is almost similar to #5 and #4, the only difference is this doesn’t necessarily mean a bookshelf/book space. Some readers are casual readers, when they are done reading they don’t feel the need to hang on to the books and come spring cleaning the question of where to send out the books creeps its way in. I suggest, donate your books to book drives being hosted by various organizations all over town! De-cluttering has never been this giving!

#2 You get to spread the spirit of reading.

Let’s face it, for most readers, reading has changed our lives. It has opened up our world to all sort of places, people, and ideas.  And maybe, even some of us, weren’t readers at the beginning and only converted to avid fans of the written word when we found that one perfect book that swept our feet away. For most people that opportunity may never come. As is the case in less fortunate communities where books are scarce and libraries barely existent. By donating books you give other people the opportunity to discover for themselves that ONE book that could change their life.  Passing on your books to someone else is the simplest way to spread the spirit of reading.

#1 It will make you happy.

Studies have shown that giving wholeheartedly translates to personal happiness. In donating books you make other people happy as you make yourself happy. Who doesn’t want to be happy? You can put your books at cardboard boxes and crate rental whether you’re shipping overseas, shipping nationally, or has large or oddly shaped.

Gathering Books invite you to join us spread the spirit of reading through our 1-4-1000 book drive. In celebration of our 1 year anniversary, we are giving 4-schools books and we hope to be able to collect at least 1000 books by July 2011.

If you wish to donate books and aren’t sure how to go about it, feel free to contact us at gatheringbooks2009(at)gmail(dot)com. For more details on this endeavor please check out this launching post and this donations page.

image: original work by author