As you remember, Denver loves reading. Its ratio of libraries and bookstores to population speaks for itself. So, it’s only natural that people have a huge interest in books.
However, if your goal isn’t selling, you may wonder where to donate your used books. Today, we’ll recommend Denver’s best places where your pre-owned titles may be especially welcome.
So if you plan to part with your beloved collection of paranormal and mystery romance novels that no longer excite your imagination (because you’ve recently discovered All for the Game series, obviously) and are ready to share your past favorites with someone else—especially if you’re willing to send them to new homes for free—BookScouter can help you find the best way to do it.
In this post, you’ll find a list of bookstores and organizations in Denver that accept used book donations. Our list includes a few local stores, plenty of Friends of the Library organizations (we’ve already mentioned the number of libraries in Denver, right?), and many various nonprofits. We also included a few frequently asked questions and answers regarding Denver book donations.
- Bookstores to Donate Books in Denver
- Nonprofits to Donate Books in Denver
- Where to Donate Textbooks in Denver?
- Where to Donate Kids’ Books in Denver?
- FAQs
- Sell Your Books in Denver
Bookstores to Donate Books in Denver
Dream Books Co.
📌 Address: 4455 Grape St, Denver, CO 80216
🌐 Website: Dream Books Co.
Dream Books Co. says, “We save over 7 million books each year from landfills.”
They accept a wide range of donations, including used and new books (paperbacks, hardcovers, textbooks, encyclopedias, and older editions).
However, they do not accept moldy or biohazardous items, magazines (including National Geographic), newspapers, etc. The store asks for all donations to be packed in boxes weighing less than 40 lbs for easy handling.
50/50 Bookstore
📌 Address: 4425 Grape Street, Denver, Colorado 80216
🌐 Website: 50/50 Bookstore
As of 12/20/2021,50/50 Bookstore has teamed up with Dream Books Co., but you can drop your books off at Dream Books Co.’s main store. For more details, check out their website, too.
Tattered Cover
📌 Address: 1628 16th St, Denver, CO 80202 (Main LoDo storу) (and five other metro locations)
🌐 Website: Tattered Cover
Tattered Cover has six locations in the Denver area. While primarily a bookseller, they previously ran December Children’s Book Drives. However, we haven’t found any donation-specific information on their website, so we recommend checking out before you decide to bring anything.
Nonprofits to Donate Books in Denver
BookGive
📌 Address: 4890 Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80221
🌐 Website: BookGive
BookGive is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects new and gently used books and distributes them to individuals, schools, shelters, and other metro Denver organizations.
They accept books in good condition, such as board books, children’s books, YA fiction, biographies and memoirs, history books, general nonfiction with broad appeal, poetry, large print books, and books in Spanish for both children and adults.
They do not accept textbooks, comic books, magazines, damaged books, encyclopedias, technical books or trade journals, outdated how-to guides (like WordPerfect manuals), reference books such as dictionaries and thesauruses, Bibles or other sacred texts (unless they have general appeal), travel books older than three years, or anything that isn’t a book. You can bring your donations on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Friends of the Aurora Public Library
📌 Address: 2243 S Peoria St., Aurora, CO 80014
🌐 Website: Friends of the Aurora Public Library
Friends of the Library run a nonprofit storefront that sells donated books, DVDs, and CDs, and helps fund Aurora library services.
They accept book donations on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
They only welcome titles in good, clean, sellable condition and don’t accept anything moldy, wet, or stained by food or pets. Magazines are not accepted, either. They do not arrange donation pick-ups; instead, you can send them to Dream Books Co., which we’ve discussed earlier.
Jefferson County Library Foundation
📌 Address: 10790 W 50th Avenue, Suite 200, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
🌐 Website: Jefferson County Library Foundation
Jefferson County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the library.
They accept book donations as well as puzzles, DVDs, CDs, and LPs.
They do not accept magazines, VHS tapes, or cassettes.
They also mention that they welcome rare, vintage, or collectible items as donations. If you want to learn more about this or their general donation policy, please contact the Foundation in advance.
Vietnam Veterans of America
📌 Address: Mile High Thrift, 2085 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80227
🌐 Website: VVA; but pickup via Pickup Please
Vietnam Veterans of America partners with Pickup Please, a national fundraiser, to collect donations.
They accept hardcover and softcover fiction and nonfiction, as well as textbooks and magazines. They prefer items in good condition and may decline damaged or heavily worn materials. You can schedule free curbside pickup through Pickup Please’s website. Donated books are resold to fund veteran programs.
Denver University Libraries
📌 Addresses:
- Anderson Academic Commons, 2150 E Evans Ave, Denver, CO 80208 (for rare books and cultural materials)
- Mary Reed Building, Room 107B, 2199 S University Blvd, Denver, CO 80210 (for books destined for resale)
🌐 Website: Denver University Libraries
DU Libraries are not currently accepting donations of books, journals, or other published materials due to staffing and resource limitations. However, we encourage you to follow the updates on their website. For more information, contact Nancy Clark, Community Relations Manager, at 303-871-3958 or nancy.clark@du.edu.
In general, they welcome gifts that support their mission and scholarly research, especially rare or unique items.
However, they do not accept textbooks, mass market publications, duplicate titles, popular magazines, journals, or anything in poor condition.
Friends of the Longmont Library
📌 Address: 409 Fourth Avenue, Longmont, CO 80501
🌐 Website: Friends of the Longmont Library
The Friends of the Longmont Library gladly accept donations of books in English and Spanish in new or excellent condition. Donated items are sorted for resale in the Lobby Book Shop, Friends’ Book Sales, or online, and the funds from these sales support the library.
However, they do not accept textbooks, business, law, or computer books, yearbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, or publications from Reader’s Digest and Time Life. They also recycle everything that’s not suitable for resale.
Where to Donate Textbooks in Denver?
Denver Public Library Friends Foundation
📌 Address: 10 W. 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204 (Central Library)
🌐 Website: Denver Public Library Friends Foundation
Friends Foundation raises around $200,000 annually through the sale of donated and withdrawn materials via book sales, online platforms, the Red Chair Bookshop, and a consignment partner.
They accept donations of rare and used books, modern textbooks (no older than 3–4 years), music CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and records.
They do not accept magazines (including National Geographic), newspapers, Reader’s Digest Condensed books, Time-Life books, outdated legal and tax books, damaged items, etc. You can bring your donations to the Central Library by appointment. Please call 720-865-1723 or email Andrea Hamilton.
Poudre River Friends of the Library (PRFOL)
📌 Address: 301 E. Olive St., Fort Collins, CO 80524
🌐 Website: Poudre Libraries
The Poudre River Friends of the Library (PRFOL) welcomes donations of various gently used books. Ideally, they prefer the titles published after 2009 and in excellent condition. They also ask the donors to only bring those that can be potentially sold in the organization’s fundraising book sales.
PRFOL does not accept damaged books (moldy, torn, dirty), textbooks over 5 years old, encyclopedias, magazines, workbooks, activity books, Harlequin romances, religious tracts, Bibles, abridged editions, or Reader’s Digest condensed books.
Broomfield Library
📌 Address: One DesCombes Drive, Broomfield, CO 80020
🌐 Website: Broomfield Library
The Broomfield Library welcomes gently used books and media donations that are then added to the library’s collection or sold at fundraising book sales.
They accept hardbacks and paperbacks: recent fiction bestsellers, current nonfiction, and textbooks or computer books with a copyright within the last five years. They also accept magazines no older than three months in specific popular categories.
They do not accept torn, musty, or moldy books, along with encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest condensed books, National Geographic magazines, outdated reference materials, and textbooks over five years old. If you have a large donation, contact them at 720-887-2340 in advance.
Auraria Library Gift Donation Guidelines
📌 Address: 1100 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80204
🌐 Website: Auraria Library
Auraria Library accepts non-duplicative scholarly and educational materials that directly support campus curriculum and research needs.
The library does not accept journals, magazines, duplicates, outdated or rapidly changing textbooks, sheet music, advance reading copies, materials in poor condition, or items left without prior approval. There is no pickup service; you need to arrange a drop-off in advance. Also, they request donors to contact them by emailing CDL@auraria.edu with a detailed description of materials, including a title list if possible.
Where to Donate Kids’ Books in Denver?
Reach Out and Read Colorado
📌 Address: 1355 S Colorado Blvd, Suite 108, Denver, CO 80222
🌐 Website: Reach Out and Read Colorado
Reach Out and Read Colorado accepts donations of new and gently used children’s books.
They welcome gently used titles with clean, unmarked, undamaged covers and pages, books for infants up to and including YA.
They do not accept textbooks or used coloring or activity books. Donated books are placed in the waiting areas and exam rooms of partner medical offices. You can drop your book donations off at the Denver office on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., or by appointment on other days. For more information or to schedule a drop-off, email them.
Little Free Libraries
📌 Address: various neighborhoods
🌐 Website: Little Free Libraries
You can always use community-run “take‑a‑book, leave‑a‑book” kiosks around Denver that are open 24/7. They are perfect for quick drop-offs of children’s titles. Check the website map for the closest ones to you in Denver.
FAQs
What books can I donate in Denver?
Most organizations across Denver accept new or gently used books, but their policies are different depending on their specific needs. Most places accept books that are clean, with covers and pages intact, and free of markings. Children’s books are usually welcome, as well as fiction and nonfiction. However, many places do not accept textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, or damaged books. We recommend always checking beforehand to make sure your donation will be welcome.
Where can I donate books in Denver?
We hope that the list we’ve shared with you today will help you decide where your books are a good fit. However, we also suggest you check other places to donate used books in the US, including various charity organizations. We also have very detailed guides with information about book donations in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Where can I donate textbooks in Denver?
In Denver, quite a few organizations have information on their websites about textbook donations. For instance, Denver Public Library Friends Foundation specifically requests modern textbooks no older than three or four years, Poudre Libraries notes that they don’t accept textbooks that are five years or older (so you can inquire about recent ones), Broomfield Library accepts textbooks or computer books with a copyright within the last five years, and Auraria Library agrees with a range of scholarly and educational materials that might include newer textbooks.
Still, you need to inquire about your specific titles. If you need more information about where to donate textbooks in general, not just in Denver, you can check our blog.
Where can I donate encyclopedias?
Not surprisingly, most places in Denver do not welcome encyclopedias. In fact, all places except one on our list specifically mention that they do not accept these books. Only Dream Books Co. mentions them (and textbooks, by the way) among the items they would like to receive. So, if you’re trying to consider where to send your once dear set of World Book encyclopedias dating back to 1989, this may be the ideal place.
Are book donations tax-deductible in Denver?
Yes. Yes, book donations in Denver are generally tax-deductible if you donate to a qualified nonprofit organization, such as a 501(c)(3) charity, public library, school, Reach Out and Read, hospital foundations, etc. To claim the deduction, you’ll need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of IRS Form 1040 instead of taking the standard deduction. Be sure to keep a receipt.
At BookScouter, we do not offer professional tax-related advice, so always consult a tax specialist for any specific recommendations.
BookScouter: Sell Your Books in Denver
If you have books that you’d like to try and sell before giving them away for free and you want to do it in person in Denver, please check out our Denver buyback guide.
If you need a faster and more convenient way, we recommend using BookScouter. It’s an online price‐comparison service you can use from any location in the US. It can help you find the buyback vendor that will accept your book, be it a textbook or encyclopedia, and pay you for it. Though encyclopedias are tricky, as we’ve already mentioned, and you may end up sending some of your really old and outdated sets for recycling, you can still check the demand for more recent editions. For instance, if you have The Encyclopedia of Quantum Human Design(TM) (ISBN-10: 1951694929; ISBN-13: 9781951694920), published in 2022, TextbookManiac will offer $26.22 for it:
And you can get considerably more for last year’s textbooks. For instance, buyback offers for Williams Textbook of Endocrinology (ISBN-10: 0323932304; ISBN-13: 9780323932301), published in 2024, can be as high as $87.00.
To sell a book, enter the ISBN in the search field, get quotes from more than 30 vendors, and choose the best offer with the most convenient shipping and payment. Then you just ship the book to the vendor you selected and get paid.
You can do it online via the website and on the BookScouter app (available on iOS and Android).
Seasoned and regular sellers can also utilize the potential of the BookScouter Pro Tools to streamline their book-selling process.
It’s smart to check BookScouter first to understand what your books are worth. And if you need information about other metro areas, don’t miss our local selling guides for Atlanta, Ashburn, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
