Donating old college textbooks

Kamiro

I'm moving shortly and I've been lugging a bunch of my old college textbooks around since I graduated (5 years ago) on the offhand chance that I would reference them. I haven't touched them since they went into the box.

I don't want to just throw them away since I paid a good amount of money for them and I'd like them to get some use.

However, when looking for places to donate them they all state that the textbooks should be no more than 3-6 years old and most of mine are older than that.

They're mostly Computer Science related with a mixture of some upper level classes and intro classes.

Any idea of a place in the DC area that would take these? I'd prefer not to have to mail them to some national organization as a 50+lb package would be super expensive.

I Zimbra

Unfortunately there isn't really any interest or value in old edition textbooks, particularly in CS. Your best bet is probably a local library or high school, at least for the intro level stuff. Otherwise you're better off recycling them.

Julius

I Zimbra wrote: »

Unfortunately there isn't really any interest or value in old edition textbooks, particularly in CS. Your best bet is probably a local library or high school, at least for the intro level stuff. Otherwise you're better off recycling them.

Yeah old textbooks are really of very little value. Recycling is probably the best option.

xraydog

LOL I had this exact same thread last year. Someone recommended http://www.betterworldbooks.com/. I printed out a label and shipped mine out. Don't know what happened to them but they're off my hands.

Gaslight

Old textbooks are basically worthless because the companies that publish them make their money from releasing new editions every couple of years, even if the actual information on the subject being taught contained it it hasn't changed at all, and then colleges and universities invariably require everybody in the class to have the newest edition.

Put a picture of Michelle Obama on page 52, stick an iPhone on page 178, rearrange the way the tables in chapter 5 are laid out, boom, new edition. That'll be $200, student.

But hey, the college bookstore may give you $10 for it at the end of the semester! Unless a new edition's come out since then, of course.

Not that I'm bitter.

I Zimbra

Gaslight wrote: »

Old textbooks are basically worthless because the companies that publish them make their money from releasing new editions every couple of years, even if the actual information on the subject being taught contained it it hasn't changed at all, and then colleges and universities invariably require everybody in the class to have the newest edition.

Put a picture of Michelle Obama on page 52, stick an iPhone on page 178, rearrange the way the tables in chapter 5 are laid out, boom, new edition. That'll be $200, student.

But hey, the college bookstore may give you $10 for it at the end of the semester! Unless a new edition's come out since then, of course.

Not that I'm bitter.

Oh, man, I spent 5 years selling textbooks and I could tell some fucking stories. The levels of grift by publishers and wholesalers are unbelievable.

SteevL

Yeah, even if you do find a library that ends up taking your books, it's highly likely that a few days/weeks later they'll have someone throw them in the recycling bin. I used to work at one and that's what we did with older books like that.

You could definitely try sending them to the aforementioned Better World Books. My library system would always send books we were getting rid of from our collection to that company if the books were still in good condition.

oldsak

You never know, they might actually be useful to students. I've had several CS professors who have said it didn't matter which edition of the book we used.

I'd say put them on craigslist free section and see if anyone wants them. I just recently unloaded a whole mess of CS books that were older than yours by putting them out on the sidewalk (no it wasn't trash day). You never know what people want.

Pantshandshake

If all else fails... kindling for a nice fire with your friends?

Bremaine

I say just give them away to someone who'd be interested in reading them. Some of the books may still be usable in some colleges. I'm sure some library's will take them for free.