Thank you for donating! Here are some guidelines:
Donation Guidelines
COVID-19 UPDATE: We are still accepting books on a case-by-case basis, but in general, we are not accepting large lots of mixed books, unless they are the ones listed below. Please email or call to find out more. Thank you!
First of all, THANK YOU to all who have donated or are thinking about donating books. Your books have kept the bus stocked! Here are some guidelines for what we are always (or still) looking for, and also what we have too much of:
We always want, or are still looking for:
1. Graphic novels of any kind (Wimpy Kid, Dog Man, and older kid graphic novels like New Kid, Roller Girl or Hey Kiddo)
2. Mo Willems books (Elephant & Piggie, Pigeon, etc.)
3. Dr. Seuss
4. Board books in very good condition
5. Spanish books
6. Books in Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Chinese, Arabic, French, or any other world language
7. Recent YA books in good condition
8. Hardcover (or softcover in excellent condition) picture books in good-excellent condition
9. Coloring books (popular with pre-readers who still want to pick something they can “do” themselves).
10. Word Search or Sudoku (hugely popular at the Nelson County Pantry)
11. Crayons
12. Popular YA series or books
A note on adult books:
We are collecting certain categories of adult books for PACEM guests, and for adult clients at the Nelson County Pantry and Loaves & Fishes. Here are the things that are most often requested: small hardback sketch books or adult drawing books (very popular at PACEM for something to do in the evenings), books by African American authors like Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, advanced Sudoku, popular fiction like John Grisham (several men at the PACEM shelter ask for his books), adult coloring books, inspirational books, word search, and cookbooks. Categories that (so far) are not popular are novels that are dark or "murdery" :) We do not have very much storage for adult books, so please get in touch if you have adult books that you'd like to donate. Thank you!
Things we cannot use, have too much of, or have not been popular with kids:
1. Books that are damaged in any way - torn spines, extremely creased covers, books that have been written on, water damage, dog-eared, stained, mildewed, etc.
2. Most nonfiction (please check with me, but in general, other than dinosaurs, this has not been a popular category on the bus)
3. Poetry (sadly, but so far, kids just aren’t choosing books of poetry or rhyme)
4. Textbooks or encyclopedias (please, I cannot use them and they are hard to donate)
5. Vintage children’s books that are damaged
6. Older series like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, Animorphs, Encyclopedia Brown (as much as I love these, kids are not, so far, choosing them).