Are you looking to donate unwanted books from your collection? Each year City of Canada Bay Libraries, charities and second-hand book stores receive an influx of donations around springtime — however not all donations end up on the shelves. Read on to determine where your donation might be best suited or if your books can be recycled through domestic recycling services.

Before donating books to an organisation, it is important to check that the books are in a good enough condition for sale or borrowing. Any books that are yellowed, mouldy, torn, dirty, written in, defaced or have pages stuck together should be recycled through the domestic recycling service. It's important to also consider that many places will not accept maps, textbooks, magazines or some non-fiction reference materials as these items are often out-of-date by the time they are donated and thus have no retail value.

If your books are not able to be donated due to the reasons above, it is best to pop them into your recycling bin.

City of Canada Bay Libraries accepts donations of fiction books that were published within the past 2 years. These can be dropped off during opening hours at:

• Concord Library
  60 Flavelle Street, Concord NSW 2137
  Ph: 9911 6210
  
• Five Dock Library
  Level 1/4-12 Garfield St, Five Dock NSW 2046
  Ph: 9911 6310
  
  

The books need to be assessed by our librarians prior to circulation. For this reason we do ask that members of the public refrain from donating books via the return chutes.

Books in good, saleable condition can be donated to the below charities. Make sure to contact charities before donating or follow the instructions on the donation bin/s or drop off location/s. Please don't leave goods outside the donation bins as they may get damaged by the weather and will be sent to landfill.

• St Vincent De Paul Society
  143 Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW 2134
  Ph: 9745 3744

• Lifeline
  West Lindfield Book Depot
  Cnr Polding Road & Ignatius Rd, Lindfield NSW 2070
  
  Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury
  4 Park Ave, Gordon NSW 2072
  Ph: 9498 8805
  

Street libraries are community-run homes for books that are accessible from the street. You can find a local street library by searching at streetlibrary.org.au. Please make sure you only donate what books a street library can contain — books left out in the weather are likely to become damaged and are considered illegal dumping.

Books can also be sold to second-hand booksellers although many may be selective of titles and condition. Some university bookshops will take second-hand textbooks to sell, although this may vary between universities and campuses. Rare books and other speciality items are best sold to booksellers specialising in rare items.

The below bookstores are not an exhaustive list but a good starting point for selling books that are in good condition. Make sure you call, check their website and/or make an appointment beforehand.

• Harry Harthog Booksellers
  Shop 4424 & 4425 Macquarie Shopping Centre, Herring Road &, Waterloo Rd, North Ryde NSW 2113
  Ph: 9888 2111
  Email: macquarie@harryhartog.com.au
  Harry Hartog purchase new, old, used, second-hand, rare and collectible books. They do not purchase damaged books, encyclopaedias, textbooks, Readers Digest books or National Geographic magazines. Please call or email to arrange an appointment.

• Elizabeth's Bookshop
  257 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042
  Ph: 9550 5691
  Elizabeth's Bookshop asks sellers to call on the number below so they can explain their restricted criteria for books and selling procedure. Unfortunately, they cannot give valuations or even estimates on the phone.

• Berkelouw Books
  70 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040
  Ph: 1800 046 240
  Ph: 4868 8700
  Email: booksbought@berkelouw.com.au
  To save the costs and difficulties of transport, Berkelouw Books ask that you send a list of the books you wish to sell, giving the author and title, the publisher and date and place of publication, and the condition. They will examine the list and inform you of the books in which they are interested. If your collection is too large to list, please contact Berkelouw Books so that they can organise a time to visit you to assess the collection. They do not buy damaged books, encyclopaedias, text books, Readers Digest books, or National Geographic magazines.

• Sappho Books
  51 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037
  Ph: 9552 4498
  Email: Shop@sapphobooks.com.au
  Sappho Books ask that you email or call between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, to discuss the sale of books, vinyl records and sheet music. They generally look for modern editions, especially in non-fiction, and while they buy widely in many areas, they generally only take crime fiction/thrillers and 'popular' fiction if recently published (last 2-3 years). They do not accept textbooks or encyclopaedias.
  

If you are unable to donate or sell your books you can also recycle them domestically. Click here to find out more about waste and recycling in the City of Canada Bay.