Today, we will focus on places in San Francisco that accept book donations.
Many organizations work to promote literacy and provide underserved communities with books and educational materials. For example, Books for a Better World is an all-volunteer organization that offers literacy support in Central America. However, most organizations seek financial support and do not accept direct book donations.
Yet, if you specifically want to give away the books that have been patiently waiting for their turn to be read, neglected, or forgotten, you need to know the right places and their requirements. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of organizations in San Francisco that accept book donations.
Depending on the genre and type of books you have, you may need to donate them separately to different organizations. For example, you can send children’s books to the Children’s Book Project. Your textbooks might be helpful in many programs at City College of San Francisco. Scrounger’s Center for Reusable Art Parts will gladly accept your art books, and if you happen to have drawings of some famous editorial cartoonist and don’t want to keep them for yourself, Cartoon Art Museum will gladly take them in.
For your convenience, we’ve listed these and other options with detailed, up-to-date book donation information on their websites. We hope you can find the organization or bookstore that suits your needs.
If you’re interested in book donation opportunities beyond San Francisco, you might also want to explore options in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, where many organizations work to distribute books to schools, libraries, and underserved communities.
- Local Places to Donate Books in San Francisco
- Where to Donate Textbooks in San Francisco?
- Where to Donate Kids’ Books in San Francisco?
- Where to Donate Comic Books in San Francisco?
- FAQs
- Sell Your Books for Cash in San Francisco
Local Places to Donate Books in San Francisco
Friends of the SFPL
Address: 1630 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Website: Friends of the SFPL
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library accepts donations of gently used books to help support the San Francisco Public Library System. They welcome a variety of materials (in all languages), especially “popular and perennial titles in good condition.”
They also accept technical, academic, and collectible books. They thoroughly check rare and collectible books and all donated materials to identify valuable and exceptional items.
They do not accept encyclopedia sets, magazines, and books that are moldy, water-damaged, musty, smelling, or heavily highlighted or underlined, etc. You can bring your donations to their book donation center or use a drop-off spot.
Friends of the Palo Alto Library
Address: Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Website: Friends of the Palo Alto Library
Friends of the Palo Alto Library (FOPAL) welcomes various donations. Those help support their book sales, which, in turn, help fund new materials, technology, and furniture for Palo Alto libraries.
They accept both fiction and non-fiction books, textbooks, and computer books. They also accept maps (except AAA U.S. maps) and unique historical or personal items like handwritten journals, letters, diaries, postcards, and printed ephemera.
They do not accept soiled, moldy, or damaged books, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, etc. Check their website for more details about what they accept. Please make sure your items are in good condition before you bring them to FOPAL. You don’t need to book an appointment to make a drop-off donation; just come any day from Monday to Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m.
Prisoners Literature Project
Address: Bound Together Books, 1369 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Website: Prisoners Literature Project
The Prisoners Literature Project (PLP) provides free reading materials to those behind bars.
Due to strict prison regulations, they primarily accept new and paperback books such as reference books (dictionaries, current almanacs), how-to manuals, small business books, self-help books, fiction by and about people of color, and books on meditation, yoga, and bodyweight exercises.
PLP does not accept damaged or poor-quality books. Before donating, text photos of your books to a PLP volunteer, Bruno, at 510-434-6284 for confirmation.
The Salvation Army (San Francisco)
Address: 150 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Website: The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army doesn’t require much introduction. In San Francisco, they accept book donations at its thrift stores and donation centers (4 in the city and more in the area).
They accept gently used books of all kinds, from novels and cookbooks to children’s books and more.
They do not accept books in poor condition or outdated textbooks.
Goodwill (San Francisco)
Address: 1500 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Website: Goodwill
Another charitable organization, Goodwill, also accepts books. Its mission is to empower individuals in need.
SF Goodwill donation centers accept all kinds of books, including fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, provided they are in good condition.
They do not accept magazines, textbooks older than five years, encyclopedias, or books in poor shape. They also welcome financial contributions.
San Francisco Book Wagon
Website: Book Wagon SF
The Book Wagon strives to increase access to books for children in low-income San Francisco families. Their focus is on providing engaging, high-quality books that children will be excited to read and add to their personal library. Every month, they visit seven elementary schools and three community sites to distribute free books.
They primarily seek children’s books for preschool to sixth grade, especially culturally diverse, multilingual, and popular titles.
They do not accept books outside this age range or copies in poor condition. They’d be very grateful to receive graphic editions of The Baby-Sitters Club and the Dog Man series. If you have something that suits their needs, reach out via email.
SCRAP (Scrounger’s Center for Reusable Art Parts)
Address: 2150 Newcomb Ave, SF 94124
Website: SCRAP
SCRAP aims to provide equal access to creativity. Founded in 1976, it’s an arts education nonprofit and a creative reuse center. Students, teachers, and all sorts of artists can get access to high-quality artistic materials at affordable prices at their depot.
Since the organization is focused on supplying all sorts of art-related stuff, they only accept art-related books. You can bring up to two boxes from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., without making an appointment at their address at 2150 Newcomb Ave, SF 94124.
Access Books
Address: 80 Harriet St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Website: Access Books
Access Books Bay Area supports school districts in high-poverty areas and helps provide access to up-to-date reading materials.
They accept recent (published in the last five years) high-quality children’s books (grades K-6) to support school libraries and classrooms. They especially need graphic novels (e.g., Dog Man, Babymouse, Hilo), popular early reader series (e.g., Elephant & Piggie, Pete the Cat, Geronimo Stilton), and bilingual books in Spanish or Vietnamese.
They do not accept outdated, damaged, or teen/YA/adult books. You can also donate through their Amazon Wishlist or local bookstores.
Out of the Closet
Address: 1498 Polk Street, San Francisco, 94109
Website: Out of the Closet
“Out of the Closet Thrift Store (OTC) was founded in 1990 to help raise funds and awareness for AIDS Healthcare Foundation.” If you want to clean up your shelves and participate in the fight against HIV and AIDS, this is a place to bring your used copies.
They accept books, CDs, and records as part of their donation program.
However, they are pretty selective and don’t accept everything (e.g., no children’s books). To donate, simply drop off your books at a local store, where friendly staff will assist you. If you need a receipt, that’s not a problem: all donations are tax-deductible. For large donations, schedule a pick-up through their online form.
Community Thrift Store
Address: 623 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA, 94110
Website: Community Thrift Store
Community Thrift Store is an independent and non-profit organization that raises funds for over 200 Bay Area charities. They “close the loop on consumer waste, give new life to donated merchandise, and provide a unique shopping experience.”
They accept clean, sellable books, among many other things. You can drop off your donations at their Sycamore Alley location between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. They’ll be very grateful if you neatly pack your books in separate boxes for easy handling.
Where to Donate Textbooks in San Francisco?
City College of San Francisco (CCSF)
Address: 50 Phelan Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
Website: City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco accepts book donations to support student learning. Depending on the books you have, you may offer them to different college programs (type in book donations in the website search field). For instance, the TULAY—Filipino American Student Success Program invites “students to donate unwanted or used books to our inventory so that we can continue this program.
” The Women’s Resource Center also welcomes donations and additional contributions to the WRC library—“a small but expanding library of books by and about women on issues addressing health, sexuality, work, violence against women, and healing from abuse.” In general, most of these programs expect books to be in good condition.
They do not accept outdated textbooks or torn or marked-up copies.
Better World Books—Textbook Drive
Address: 2130 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Dropbox at University of San Francisco Campus—Gleeson Library)
Website: Better World Book
Another organization that accepts college and high school textbooks in good condition is Better World Books. We’ve mentioned the organization that helps support global literacy initiatives many times. When it comes to learning materials specifically, they suggest you join their movement and run a Textbook Drive.
They accept a wide range of titles, including textbooks (published within 10 years), children’s books (unused workbooks and activity books), and foreign language books with ISBNs in Spanish, French, German, and Russian. Books must be in good condition—free of mildew, mold, water damage, or missing pages.
They do not accept yearbooks, book club editions, encyclopedias, law books, outdated reference materials, or unsellable editions such as review or examination copies or advanced readers. Learn more about the Textbook Drive and acceptable donations on the organization’s website.
Where to Donate Kids’ Books in San Francisco?
Children’s Book Project
Address: 1360 43rd Avenue, Room 105, San Francisco
Website: Children’s Book Project
The Children’s Book Project aims to “create a more socially just world by providing books for free to children from under-resourced communities.”
They accept new and like-new books for ages 0–18, especially books in Spanish, books featuring characters of color, board books, beginning readers, early chapter books, and graphic novels.
They do not accept textbooks, encyclopedias, religious books, library discards, or damaged, outdated, or obsolete copies. To donate, please make an appointment for a drop-off at their San Francisco Book Bank. They can provide you with a tax-deductible receipt if needed.
Project Night Night
Address: 1355 Market St, Suite 488, San Francisco, CA 94103
Website: Project Night Night
Project Night Night helps “homeless children have sweeter dreams.” And you can help sustain this mission. Along with monetary donations, they also accept product donations, but their guidelines are quite strict. When it comes to books, the organization accepts only new and not heavy children’s books appropriate for ages 0 to pre-teen.
They do not accept books and stuffed animals with battery compartments, sound features, religious or holiday themes, or commemorative designs, as well as items that have been recalled, banned, or don’t meet safety regulations. To send your books to this project in California, please contact them via email.
East Bay Children’s Book Project
Address: 955 7th St, Oakland, CA 94607
Website: East Bay Children’s Book Project
The East Bay Children’s Book Project is another organization that accepts kids’ books as donations. Although it’s technically not located in SF but in Oakland, it serves the broader Bay Area, including San Francisco. Since 2005, the project has distributed over a million books to schools, day-care centers, community centers, homeless shelters, and hospitals to support children who do not have access to enough books.
To support the project, you can donate new or gently used books, especially multicultural and foreign language books. They are particularly in need of books that reflect diverse communities.
However, they do not accept textbooks, religious books, encyclopedias, magazines, adult books, or library discards. If you want to organize a book drive at your school or place of worship, contact them at 510-408-7323.
Where to Donate Comic Books in San Francisco?
Mission Comics & Art
Address: 2250 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Website: Mission Comics & Art
Though Mission Comics & Art does not accept donations, they buy graphic novels for 25% of the cover price in trade credit or 20% in cash if they are interested in your title.
Currently, they are not buying used comic books and suggest you donate them to the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library (we discussed this earlier in this post).
Cartoon Art Museum
Address: 781 Beach Street, Fl 1, San Francisco, CA 94109
Website: Cartoon Art Museum
Help the Cartoon Art Museum celebrate its 40th anniversary by donating something from your comic, cartoon, or animation artwork collection to help pass on to future generations. The museum accepts donations for its permanent collection and books for its research library.
They are mostly interested in animation artwork (like character model sheets and drawings), comic book and graphic novel art, underground cartoon and comics art, editorial, magazine, and advertising cartoons, and cartoon-related toys and merchandise. Donations support public exhibitions and scholarly research. To inquire about donations, contact via email.
Cards and Comics Central
Address: 5424 Geary Blvd San Francisco, CA 94121
Website: Cards and Comics Central
While this store has no information about comic book donations, we strongly recommend you contact them and ask in person. Cards and Comics Central is quite a unique place when it comes to comics, and their collection is huge.
It’s been in business in San Francisco for over 23 years and specializes in a wide variety of products, including sports cards, comic books, collectibles, etc. Challenges like the impact of COVID and local safety issues forced the store to resort to door purchasing. While you cannot visit and browse the collection, you can still purchase items at their doorway or online through their website, on eBay and Amazon.
FAQs
What books can I donate in San Francisco?
Most local places accept a wide range of books, but their requirements vary. Friends of the San Francisco Public Library accepts gently used books but does not take outdated textbooks or damaged items. Project Night Night collects kids’ books for homeless children. Prisoners Literature Project looks for educational and paperback books suitable for incarcerated individuals. SCRAP accepts only books related to art and nothing else.
If you have specific titles that you’re unsure where to send (e.g., encyclopedias, maps, etc.), we recommend checking each organization’s guidelines in advance.
Where can I donate books in San Francisco?
There are many ways to donate books in SF. You can use drop-off locations at libraries, bookstores, nonprofits such as Friends of the SFPL or SCRAP, and organizations like the SF Book Wagon that distribute books directly to those in need. You can visit local thrift stores, offer your old titles to Goodwill and Out of the Closet, or opt for book drives. Alternatively, some organizations offer pick-up services. You can also check our guide on where to donate used books in the US.
Can I donate textbooks in San Francisco?
Old textbooks are hard to donate, as the older they get, the less relevant they are to the curriculum, etc. Nonetheless, some organizations accept study materials, but with a few restrictions. For instance, Friends of the SFPL accepts textbooks only in very good condition; Goodwill and the City College of San Francisco programs welcome recent educational materials and textbooks not older than five years. Most of the organizations do not accept outdated or damaged copies.
Are book donations tax-deductible in San Francisco?
Yes. If you donate to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your donation may be tax-deductible. Organizations like Friends of the SFPL, Project Night Nigh, and Goodwill typically provide donation receipts. Always ask for a receipt and consult IRS guidelines or a tax professional for details.
What should I do with books not accepted for donation?
If your books are too damaged or outdated for donation, you have a few options. First, you can recycle them. For instance, SF’s recycling programs accept paperbacks and some hardcovers (check the SF Environmental Department for more information). Next, you can upcycle and use your old books for creative art projects, home decor, or DIY crafts. Finally, you can also swap or sell your used books. We’ve already covel book-selling alternatives in San Antonio, Houston, Philadelphia and Florida; you can check our earlier posts in the blog.
Sell Your Books for Cash in San Francisco: Best Buyback Offers with BookScouter
San Francisco offers plenty of options for selling your used books. However, searching for the closest local bookstore, bringing your books there, and trying to match the convenience with the price offered can be a hassle. As usual, we have a better solution for you: a tool that offers flexibility and guarantees that you’ll get the best price online book reselling platforms have.
BookScouter allows you to compare buyback offers from over 30 vendors. Your job is to compare them and choose the best deal based on price and convenient shipping terms. It’s also easy to use; you simply scan your book’s ISBN, check the top offers, and go to the chosen vendor’s website to sell and complete the deal.
For frequent sellers who want to simplify the process even more and maximize efficiency, we recommend BookScouter Pro Tools and the BookScouter app (available on iOS and Android).
We also recommend checking our series of posts about book-selling options in the following locations: Atlanta, Ashburn, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, New York, and Seattle. While we haven’t yet prepared a similar guide for San Francisco, you may find something useful among our recommendations for selling books in Los Angeles and San Diego—especially if you live in California.
