Donate books
Got books? We heartily welcome book donations, as they provide us with most of the revenue we need to perform our mission.
Your donations can be dropped off at any Friends Volunteer Bookshop during regular hours. If distance makes that inconvenient, donations can also be left at the Ottawa Public Library branch nearest you.
We accept the following types of donations, provided they are in good condition:
- Children’s books
- Young-adult fiction
- Graphic novels
- Literary classics
- All forms of fiction and non-fiction: travel guides (not more than five-years old), history, sports, humour, hobbies, poetry, cookbooks, dictionaries, parenting, self help, thesauri and coffee table books
- Audio-visual material (music, audio books and movies) that is complete and undamaged.
- Magazines that are in excellent condition and appear to be of technical or historical value
- Text books fewer than 10 years old
We respectfully decline:
- Trade magazines, fashion magazines, women’s and men’s magazines, etc.
- All books that are not intact or that contain yellowed pages, smells or mildew (mildew spreads!)
- Books with excessive writing, markings, or highlighting
- Encyclopedias
- National Geographic magazines
- Harlequins
- Audio cassettes
If you have a donation you are not sure about, please contact us or donate it anyway. Some sorting out is always necessary before putting items up for sale.
We can accommodate larger donations at the Main Library (120 Metcalfe). If you have a large donation, call to arrange a time to drop off your boxes of books.
Your donations of good books make a huge difference in your community. Find out what FOPLA does with your donations.