11 places to donate books

When I meet with estate planning clients, one of the things we cover in some detail is the disposition of personal and household items after they have passed away. Last year I visited a couple in their home, which was lined floor to ceiling with books. Every surface was covered with books. They may be the only people I've met who have more books than I do!

We had a discussion about what to do with all of the books when the couple has passed away. I suppose the first thought many people might have is to give the books to a public library. My clients told me that they had spoken with their local library, which had politely declined to receive the vast majority of the books. So where can a testator donate these books? What options does an executor have when tons of books are to be disposed of and the family members don't want them?

Yesterday I participated in a Twitter chat hosted by CBC Books in which several chatters made wonderful suggestions of places that happily accept book donations. The suggestions are:

• www.betterworldbooks.com
• www.littlefreelibrary.org
• your own office (for business books)
• www.childrensbookbank.com
• www.booksbetweenfriends.com
• military hospitals
• www.facebook.com/bookswithnobounds
• www.n2ncentre.com
• women's prisons
• women's shelters
• www.calgaryreads.com

Hopefully this information will come in handy for someone who is trying to clear out a personal library and doesn't have the time to research donees.