Are your books gathering dust on the shelf? Are they deserving of a new, loving home? This guide will let you know exactly where to donate books in Wichita, so you can find a place close to you, keeping your books local and all the while helping out a great cause.
Friends of the Wichita Public Library
Donation Type: Drop off, Pick up from you, Drop off in book bin, Trade/exchange
Primary Location: 711 West 2nd St. N., Wichita KS, 67203
Hours: Email to arrange drop off: friends@wichitalibrary.org
Other Locations: Any library branch accepts small donations
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books, fiction and nonfiction, any Kansas magazines, other magazines less than 3 years old, travel books/legal/homeschool textbooks less than 5 years old, publications about Kansas, current college textbooks
Type of Books Not Accepted: Newspapers, catalogs, Time Life, older National Geographic series
Website: Wichita Library Friends
How to Donate
Email the above address if you have a large donation to drop off at the Advanced Learning Library (think more than 2 boxes full of books.)
All library branches will take smaller donations. You can see your nearest branch on their website here.
Not only is it great to see the Friends of the Wichita Library accepting local interest books and magazines, but they also take recent college textbooks, which can be a great help for recent graduates!
The Treehouse
Donation Type: Drop off
Location: 151 N. Volutsia, Wichita, Kansas 67214
Hours: 10am-3pm Monday to Thursday
Type of Books Accepted: Baby books, children’s books
Website: The Treehouse
How to Donate
Drop your books off at their Thrift Store during opening hours. Because this is a Thrift Store that serves mothers and children who have taken part in this charity’s programs, they request that books in like-new condition for health and safety purposes.
Sedgwick County Jail
Donation Type: Mail In
Mailing Address: Sedgwick County Jail, Attn: Inmate Coordinator, 141 West Elm St, Wichita, KS 67203
Type of Books Accepted: Paperbacks and soft cover books
Type of Books Not Accepted: Hardback books, spiral bound books, magazines, comics
How to Donate
I came across this option when scanning the Sentences page on Facebook, which compiles information on all prisons who accept book donations.
In the post, which I’ve screenshotted and posted below, Sentences advise that you must write ‘Attn: Inmate Coordinator’ or your books will be rejected. If you send through USPS, ask for the media rate.
Donating books to prisons can be very rewarding as inmates are often deprived of varied topics in their somewhat limited libraries. Just ensure you don’t include any hardback or spiral bound books!
Now you know where to donate books in Wichita, I hope you can put some of your old books to good use! Don’t forget to check out our guide on where to donate books in Kansas City too, for more awesome options throughout the sunflower state.