What to do with an inherited library?

[hedgehog]

My Dad is downsizing and I have his very extensive library - we're talking 200-300 books, easily. Now some of these are out-of-date, but the bulk are solid history, philosophy and classics. We had a cousin interested in Civil War history, so he got that part of the collection. But how do I get the rest into good hands? I'm willing to give them away, but I doubt our local library would take them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. My dad had a ton of books. When he passed away

we gave most of them to the small library in the retirement apartment complex where he lived, and they were thrilled to get them. A senior citizens' facility would probably be very glad to have them.

[ret5hd]

2. First, see if any are 1st editions...

then research those to see if they are valuable.

It probably won't take long unless your dad made a habit of (as I do) only buying 1st editions.

[shenmue]

3. Donate to local schools or public libraries

I think the students would appreciate them, especially good non-fiction.

[onehandle]

4. Ugh. I wish we only had 200-300 books.

My wife and I collected tons on our own and inherited books from both our parents.

These days we rarely buy books that aren't iBooks or Audiobooks.

[Aristus]

5. I inherited about 100 books from my father.

I donated a bunch of them, kept the ones I wanted, and am getting ready to sell his first and limited editions on eBay.

[hedgehog]

6. I was really wondering if I could turn them over to a used book store with net access-

some of these are really heavy duty, special interest books - like a history of the German General Staff, voyages of Captain Cook, etc.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. Try Alibris

They more into selling old books, rarities, first editions.

Also, a university library might be more interested in them than your neighborhood library.

[alarimer]

7. The Friends of the Library group might take them for their book sale

Inquire at the library about that.

[hedgehog]

8. I'm sure they would - it's just what happens with the leftovers that bothers me.

[csziggy]

20. That's the rub - my sister volunteers at her library

With their "Friends of the Library" - most of the donated books never get close to the shelves. They try to sell the ones the library doesn't keep but these days they make more money with the ones they throw away since my sister hooked them up with a recycling company that pays for paper by the ton.

A lot of what is donated are romance novels and they go straight into the dumpster along with right wing political stuff. She's found some thing that should be of interest to local historical groups - such as a history of the Bronx zoo from years ago - but she hasn't found where to place those even when the relevant organizations don't already have copies.

She pulls out and pays for books she thinks friends and family might want. I get science fiction anthologies and needlework books with a few mysteries thrown in. Mom gets Florida history and books about the Great Depression, and so on.

I like the suggestion of an online used book place. You're more likely to get the books to someone who can appreciate them than giving them to a local library.

I've named a book executor for my specialized collection. As long as she's living in the area I know she will make sure my books go to people who can make use of them. I she moves (since she's thinking of retiring) or passes away before I do, I will have to change that provision in my will.

Good luck!

[dembotoz]

9. been to some library book sales as of late and saw folks with barcode scanners just going thru

not sure which web site but if the book had retail value they would get it for later resale if not just move on.

might be worth an after noon to check em out

there has to have been enough value going thru the stacks to attract the book hunters.

she who must be obeyed is building her own library for her special ed classes. I am amazed and sickened by what she spends on this project--sickened because she is not reimbursed for any of it....

[blogslut]

10. Perhaps you could donate some of them to a prison.

http://prisonbookprogram.org/resources/other-books-to-prisoners-programs/

[Paladin]

16. That was my thought. Give them to a prison. (nt)

[MissDeeds]

11. Nursing homes often need books

My husband and I had more books than we knew what to do with - I'm a professor and he's an historian - so we donated a lot to a local nursing home and an assisted living facility. I guess we could have sold them on Amazon or had a garage sale, but we felt better about giving them to the elderly in our community. Just an idea.

[DebJ]

12. High school library? Funding has been so slashed.....

you could ask to speak to a history teacher at one of the local schools...


And 200-300 books is nothing for a lover of history. Books are our thing. (Certainly not the history channel!)

I have 500, with 400 on US history (the rest science and some lit), but my husband
has over 1000 books, about 1/2 military and ancient history.

[hedgehog]

13. That's the type of collection I'm dealing with.

They're good books that really get into a narrow topic like a particular Napoleonic campaign. I think they are too dense for some of the suggested outlets. It's really a question of getting them into the hands of aficionados.

[DebJ]

19. Hedgehog, if these are military-oriented, you could try a local hobby shop

Just post a notice listing some of the books you have available on military stuff and someone might well take
it off your hands, if it is a hobby store that does military gaming... a weird and expensive hobby my husband
is in too (our basement hold well over 200,000 miniature soldiers and an enormous amount of varied scenery
and buildings that are played on). That's what my husband has done with his love of military history: hundreds
of books and all those little soldiers......

I don't know where you live, but I know of shops in Pennsylvania, Maryland and one in Northern Virginia.


If you are near Richmond, this weekend I guarantee someone at this event would take your books, and some
nerd will find them each and all one day:
https://hmgs.site-ym.com/?page=HconHome

[cstanleytech]

18. 1500+ books as of last count back in 1996. 99% of them gifts from my mother

over the years before she died last year, slowed up the last 6 years though what with the cost of books these days.

[lindysalsagal]

14. Try your local school librarian: Especially catholic schools

It's a shame to just throw them out.

[trueblue2007]

15. SELL THEM ON EBAY !!!!!

[eppur_se_muova]

21. Check prices for used volumes on Amazon, eBay, ABE, ThriftBooks etc. before you give them away ...

that will give you some idea as to whether even collectors will want them. If they're too old to have ISBN numbers, it may be really slow work, but you could identify some real gems that way.

If you donate them to a library that needs space more than they need old books, they will be disposed of soon anyway.

If even the used bookstore doesn't want them, they are probably not worth anything except as personal memorabilia.