What to do with "excess" books?

Messilane, another great donation idea. Thanks!

Fig, I looked at the link and the product sounds awesome. It's available at Home Depot and on Amazon, and is inexpensive, too. I'll definitely try it. Thanks!

 

When at a sale, if there is the musty basement, stale smoke or cat smell, I don't even bother looking at fabric, books, or dolls

 

Interesting... Never thought of this. While I find essence-of-cat off-putting, smoke and mustiness does not bother me. I buy books only to read, so who knows what gems may be left to be discovered in that odiferous pile!

 

Hi,
I can testify on using those "volcanic" rocks. I was going to use a friends cabin which had been closed up for several years. When I opened the door, the whole place smelled of smoke and a moldy smell. Left the door and windows open and went to the hardware store bought several bags of rocks came back closed the door and windows, placed the bags around and went to out to eat and visit. When I came back later that night, most of the odors where gone. In the morning it smelled fine and I trashed rocks. When I left later that week I opened a bag of rocks and left them there.
greg

 

Hi,
The best thing you can use is an ozone machine. The church that I was working on after the fire needed so many textiles, linens, albs, copes, drapes and books that had smoke damage. I rented several ozone machines and sealed off a room in the rectory and placed all the put all the stuff in the room turned on the machines and left them for a week. When I opened and aired the room the stuff had no odor at all. A year later I bought a used machine and used it in my apartment. I ozoned all my books and stuff that could not be cleaned since I stopped smoking. I used a closet. Used that machine many times on stuff I bought to sell. The thing to remember is NOT to be around the machine since it can give you flu like symptoms.
greg

 

I was just planning on dying and letting someone else get rid of everything.

 

Greg, thanks for confirming that the volcanic rocks work. A bag is only around $7 at Home Depot, too! I'd be nervous about using an ozone machine... I have respiratory issues and I've read ozone can be problematic.

Af, I'm afraid that's what my collector/hoarder mother did to me. Much as I love the myriad lovely and/or interesting things she had, it can be overwhelming to have an instant collection that you don't know a lot about!

 

That's what I'm planning to do!

 

This lovely organization does not charge for this service and I don't know if you can send them books (or if it is even worthwhile for you to do that), but if you are nearby you should try BOOKBGONE.

 

Morgen, wow, what they're doing sounds excellent. Unfortunately, on their website they say they only pick up in NJ, and I'm in MA.

I know there are charities, like the Epilepsy Foundation, that will pick up items at curbside, including books. But it wouldn't surprise me if they recycle the books as paper to get cash.

 

Yes, their pickup is limited to their area, but I was wondering if people can send books to them...assuming the charitable donation and shipping by book rate (is there even such a thing anymore?) make it appealing to the potential book sender.

 

I've only shipped relatively lightweight books, so I'm not sure. I'll keep this in mind as a possibility. Thanks!