From Balgolwah to Ultimo, we’ve collected all the information you need on where and how to donate books in and around Sydney.
There are a wide variety of nonprofits you can choose to support through donating your gently used books, so please “read on” to discover everything you need to know for a smooth book donation!
Little Modern Reader
Donation Type: Drop off
Location: 22-36 Mountain St, Ultimo, Sydney
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books ages 0-8
Type of Books Not Accepted: Non-English books, ex-library books
Website: Little Modern Reader
How to Donate
Little Modern Reader requests you send photos of your books to them first, at hello@littlemodernreader.com.au. Once a time is arranged, you can bring your books to their location on Mountain Street.
How Little Modern Reader Helps
The bookshop aims to provide preloved books at affordable prices for young families in Sydney.
10% of profits are sent to the Australian Refugee Volunteers charity, a nonprofit that runs programs and events for refugee children in Sydney.
Lifeline Book Depots
Donation Type: Drop off, drop off in book bin (Gordon location)
Shop Locations: Balgowlah, Brookvale, Cremorne, Dee Why, Forestville, Manly, Mona Vale, Narrabeen, Neutral Bay, Spit Junction
Hours: See all opening hours for branches on their website here.
Type of Books Not Accepted: Magazines, Reader’s Digest, encyclopedias, condensed books, National Geographics
Website: Lifeline Book Fairs
How to Donate
For larger donations (think more than a few bags) Lifeline suggests using their Distribution Center or Book Depot, which you can find the address and hours for on their website at this link.
Lifeline Northern Beaches host huge book fairs throughout the year, with all proceeds going to support the charity’s efforts and systems.
Lifeline (Northern Beaches)
Donation Type: Drop off
Hours: West Lindfield Mon-Thu 9am-3pm; Hornsby Tue-Thu 9.30am-1.30pm
24/7 Book Bin: Gordon Book Shed, 4 Park Avenue, Gordon
Type of Books Not Accepted: Magazines, Reader’s Digest, encyclopedias, condensed books, National Geographics
Website: Lifeline H2H
Australian Books for Children of Africa
Donation Type: Drop off
Location: Contact to arrange drop off in Sydney
Type of Books Accepted: Children’s books, baby books, picture books, kids’ dictionaries and atlases
Type of Books Not Accepted: Non-English books, textbooks or encyclopedias pre-2005
Website: ABCA
How to Donate
Fill out the contact form on their donation page, and they’ll get back to you with information on where to drop off your books.
How ABCA Helps
They don’t just donate books to Africa, they’ve donated over 300,000 books to schools and libraries for children on the continent since their inception in 2003!
The mostly volunteer-led organization has grown classroom reading in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Ghana, the Congo, and Uganda, to name but a few countries they’ve helped.
The Women’s Library
Donation Type: Drop off
Location: 8-10 Brown Street, Newtown, NSW
Hours: Tues-Thu 11am-3pm; Sat-Sun 12-4pm
Type of Books Accepted: Feminist fiction, lesbian fiction, publications by a women’s press, fiction by global female writers from the past four years, any fiction/plays/poetry by Australian female writers
Website: The Women’s Library
How to Donate
Before dropping off, please email them at enquiries@thewomenslibrary.org.au – they’ll arrange a drop off time with you.
Why We Love the Women’s Lending Library
Describing themselves as a community space and library for women, they offer a haven for women to visit, read, and learn. They even have a guest computer and free tea and coffee in the kitchen.
By donating any relevant female-related books here, you’re ensuring you keep a love of women’s literature cultivated.
I have text books Medical and Law /Commerce about 12-14 years old but in very good condition. I would like to give those away and I live in Sydney Australia.
Would appreciate any help with this as I do not want to throw them away.
I have more or less a thousand books ranging from business, self help to general knowledge. I can only get it picked up because I’m moving overseas. If interested contact me by text or call at: (Jun 0488772166)
I am elderly and have books to donate, but I haven’t got a car so I am unable to drop them off. Is there a charity in Sydney that could collect them from me.
I don’t believe any of the organizations I listed do pick ups, unfortunately.