Have you had a cleanout and ended up with a bunch of books you no longer need? Or maybe you’re simply looking to get behind a local cause that aids literacy and education in Ann Arbor? Well, you’re in the right place!
There are a number of noble nonprofits working in the community who would welcome used, or new books to benefit their program. From libraries, to churches, to locally run charities, we’ve listed them all here to ensure you can easily donate books in Ann Arbor.
Give My Books
Donation Types: Drop off in book bin, Pick up from you
Drop Off Location: 2091 Stratton Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
Type of Books Not Accepted: Encyclopedias, damaged books (torn, mildew)
Donation Tax Receipt: No
Website: Give My Books
How to Donate
Give My Books make it really easy to “give” them your books. You can either drop them in the book bin outside their warehouse at the above address, or arrange for them to collect the books from you by filling out the form on their website.
Why We Love Give My Books
They’re run by a local family that cares about both the environment and keeping books in the community. By letting them collect your books, you’re not going to be creating a carbon footprint for your donations, and the books can be repurposed for other families in Ann Arbor to cherish.
Give My Books supplies books to teachers looking to build out their classroom libraries, and they have a lofty goal of giving away 50,000 books to the general public this year as well. They hold an annual book sale called The JLC Book Sale to keep their operation running smoothly.
Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
Donation Types: Drop off, Pick up from you
Location: 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hours: Tues-Sat 12-7pm; Sun-Mon 12-3pm
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books, fiction books, audiobooks, recent informational books
Type of Books Not Accepted: Textbooks/informational books more than 5 years old, books with outdated information, encyclopedias, magazines
Donation Tax Receipt: No
Website: FAADL
How to Donate
The Library Friends require all books to be in standard grocery-sized bags or boxes no larger than 16x12x12 inches.
Drop Off // The Library Friends request that books are dropped off at the loading dock of the downtown library at the above address. It’s in the employee parking lot on E. William St.
“Pack Up and Pick Up” // This is a limited service but if you head to their website at the above link there’s a form to fill out to see if you qualify for book collections.
Why We Love Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
The Friends resell any donated books via their website as well as in their physical bookshop. All proceeds go to fund Ann Arbor District Library children’s programs including things like school visits, summer reading programs, and writing competitions. So, you can be sure that when you gift your used books to them, the profits are going directly back into improving literacy in Ann Arbor. Awesome!
C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Donation Type: Book drive (pick up from you)
Type of Books Accepted: Board books, and books for children under the age of 8
Type of Books Not Accepted: Used books
Website: Giving Library
How to Donate
Because the hospital works with very sick children, they can only accept brand new books due to risk of germs being transmitted. The hospital requests that you hold a book drive, or you can even buy books off their Amazon wishlist.
While this type of Ann Arbor book donation may not be the simplest, Mott Children’s Hospital offers care to those who need it most, and we know how even a small book can light up a child’s day when gifted to them!
As a heads up, if you travel regularly to Detroit, you may want to check out our guide on donating books in Detroit. Motor city has several excellent nonprofit literacy initiatives that would be thrilled for any donations.
First Unitarian Universalist Prison Books Program
Donation Type: Contact the organization directly
Type of Books Accepted: Fiction, non-fiction, dictionaries, self-help, ACT/SAT prep books, Spanish books
Type of Books Not Accepted: Informational books older than 5 years, i.e. travel books, textbooks
Donation Tax Receipt: No
Website: Prison Books Program
How to Donate
This prison books program is a great initiative by the First Unitarian Universalist congregation of Ann Arbor. Their volunteers box up donated books and regularly distribute them to prisons in the local area with the goal of aiming to improve the literacy and overall knowledge of inmates who want to.
There’s not much info on their website, so it’s best to contact them directly on this email to find out more on how to donate: prisonbooks@uuaa.org
Ann Arbor Book Donations: The Sparknotes
- Give My Books
- Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
- C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital
- First Unitarian Universalist Prison Books Program
Any local Goodwill or Salvation Army store will usually accept book donations too. At Local Book Donations, we just prefer highlighting truly local nonprofits in need of donations.
So, we wish you happy donating, and be sure to check out our other book donation guides for where to donate books in Michigan!