If you find your shelves overflowing and you’re looking for places to donate books in Columbus, look no further!
Following on from our guides around the great state of Ohio, such as where to donate books in Cincinnati and Cleveland, we’ve rounded up the best places to donate books in Columbus.
Note: We prioritize organizations that dedicate time and resources to aiding literacy in their local communities.
Second and Seven Kids’ Book Bank
Donation Types: Drop off, drop off in book bin
Location: 7949 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43235
Hours: Book bin open 24/7. Larger boxed donations can be brought Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-3pm.
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books from K to 6th grade reading level, but other books i.e. young adult, fiction, nonfiction are accepted.
Type of Books Not Accepted: Coloring books, textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias
Website: Second and Seven
How to Donate
The book bin at the Northwest corner of their building is available 24/7. For smaller quantities of books, this is a great way to easily drop off at any time of day.
Larger boxed donations can be brought Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-3pm.
Why We Love Second and Seven
These guys have a really novel approach to encouraging kids to read: they enlist the help of student-athletes to sit down and read with them!
They run programs in a number of states, but their Columbus Kids’ Book Bank is their main way of securing fun books for their programs.
A number of Buckeye athletes have taken part in their local programs, as well as athletes from high schools. Here, you absolutely know your books will be put to good use!
Reach Out and Read @ Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Donation Type: Drop off
Primary Location: 700 Children’s Dr., Columbus, OH 43205
Other Locations: 7 other locations in Columbus. See full list below.
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books up to a second grade reading level
Type of Books Not Accepted: Books published pre-1990, coloring books, workbooks, textbooks, political/religious books
Website: Nationwide Children’s
How to Donate
Reach Out and Read have seven book drop off locations in Columbus. You can view them all on our Book Donation Map of America. We recommend reaching out to your local branch to arrange a drop off of your gently used children’s books:
- Clintonville Close to Home Center
- Dublin Close to Home Center
- Lewis Close to Home Center
- Ohio Pediatric Care Alliance
- Ontario Close to Home Center
- Westerville Behavioral Health
- Westerville Close to Home Center
Why We Love Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read are a nationwide nonprofit that integrate reading as part of a child’s care and recovery while they are in hospital.
Pediatric clinicians at the above Nationwide Children’s branches are trained by Reach Out and Read to help bring the joy of reading to children, a lot of whom are from low-income backgrounds. This is definitely a noble cause for your donations!
Columbus Metropolitan Library Friends
Donation Type: Drop off
Primary Location: 96 S. Grant Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215
Other Locations: 22 other locations. See our Book Donation Map for your closest one.
Type of Books Not Accepted: Magazines, newspapers, academic journals, law/medical books, encyclopedias, activity books, travel books older than 3 years, textbooks older than 10 years
Website: Columbus Library
How to Donate
If you have a box/boxes of books that you’re able to carry into one of the Metropolitan Library locations unassisted, just drop it off at any time they’re open (check your local site for details.) If you have a larger donation, please call or email ahead of time.
Books in good condition are sold at the Friends’ “Big Book Sales” to raise money for vital library programs.
OSU University Libraries
Donation Type: Drop off
Location: Thompson Library, Room 322, 1858 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210-1286
Type of Books Accepted: Gently used books will be evaluated for addition to the Libraries collection
Website: OSU Libraries
How to Donate
If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Christen Ireland at ireland.34@osu.edu or 614-247-7790.
Note, this is probably a better idea if you have some interesting books to donate that could be of use to the library’s collection, as opposed to children’s books or old magazines. Nonetheless, you can get in touch with Christen to see if it’s a fit, and arrange a time for donation.
Places to Donate Specific Types of Books in Columbus
Children’s Books
Reach Out and Read and Second and Seven are the best spots to donate kids’ books in Columbus. Check our detailed listings on them above by clicking those links to see where and how to donate.
Textbooks
The Columbus Metropolitan Library Friends will accept textbooks up to 10 years old. As far as donating textbooks go, that’s a pretty lenient timespan, so anyone who’s finished studying and is looking to unload their old books should definitely take advantage of that!
Do you know anyplace that accepts magazines? I have a bunch of old New Yorkers. I’d hate to put them in the recycling bin, but libraries don’t need them.
Hey Jan – unfortunately, magazines are generally not accepted by anyone when it comes to donations. I think this has to do with them being outdated. Sorry!
Half Price Books takes magazines. They won’t pay you much, especially for old ones, but they’ll take pretty much anything as long as it’s in acceptable shape.