As any bookworm knows, it is impossible to ever have enough shelf space for your books.
Decluttering old books becomes essential to make room for new additions. But what should you do with them?
Here are some ways to give your old books a new lease of life.
Where to sell books
1. Try your luck on Carousell
This online marketplace is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you’re looking to sell your old things locally. Just take a photo or two, set your price and create a listing.
Be warned: You might have to wait months for someone to be interested in buying your books, and you’ll probably spend more time than you’d like fending off shameless lowballers.
And sometimes, you end up travelling halfway across the island just to sell a $5 book.
2. Trade them in for Thryft credits
If dealing with scammers and lowballers on Carousell is too much of a headache, consider trading in your books at Thryft, an online sustainable thrift store for pre-loved books and clothes.
Trading in your books lets you exchange them for Thryft credits, which you can use to purchase other secondhand items from the online store.
Alternatively, you can choose to donate your books instead to have their worth in credits donated as cash after they’re sold. In addition, Thryft donates a portion of its earnings to non-profit organisations.
Thryft supports several social and environmental causes, such as WWF Singapore for conservational efforts, Lakeside Family Services’ children and youth programmes, and many more.
3. Sell them at a secondhand bookshop
Hauling your obsolete library directly to a bookstore might be old-fashioned, but it’s certainly more efficient, especially if you’re selling in bulk.
Although fewer secondhand bookshops buy books nowadays, there are still a few options if you’re looking to unload.
The shops of Bras Basah Complex are a good place to start. For instance, Evernew Book Store still buys secondhand books.
Do note that the shops might reject some books based on their condition, and you’re not likely to get much money for them.
However, this is probably the best option if you have a lot of books to sell and are more concerned with clearing space than profit.
Evernew Bookstore
231 Bain Street, #01-07 Bras Basah Complex, Singapore 180231
Where to donate books
If you’d prefer to donate your books instead of selling them, there are several options you can consider:
1. Become a Book Fairy
https://www.instagram.com/thesgtrekkiereads/p/DW02QRlAX4G/
Want to share books you’ve enjoyed with other readers? Why not become a book fairy?
The Book Fairies is a global movement that has spread to Singapore as well, encouraging book sharing by hiding books in public places for other people to find.
Simply order some Book Fairy stickers, stick one on the book you want to share and find a hiding place for it (though preferably not on public transport, to avoid sparking a panic over suspicious packages).
You can also add small touches before hiding the book, like a ribbon or a note.
2. Books Beyond Borders
Have a ton of gently-used books? Consider donating them to Books Beyond Borders, a social business that collects and sells pre-loved books at their secondhand bookstore, The Bookstore by Books Beyond Borders. 100 per cent of the profits from selling books go to funding literacy projects in Nepal.
Do note that Books Beyond Borders has a strict set of guidelines on what sort of books it accepts, so be sure to check its website before donating.
Find out more here
3. Charity organisations
If you’d like your books to find a home with the less fortunate, consider donating them to a charity organisation. Of course, not all charity organisations want books, so be sure to find one which does.
The Salvation Army is one of the more well-known organisations which accepts book donations. Do note that at the moment, the only location which accepts drop-off donations is the Tanglin Family Hub at Tanglin Road.
The Salvation Army
356 Tanglin Rd, Singapore 247674
4. Little libraries and book exchange corners
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Look carefully – the perfect donation spot might be in your very own void deck.
Little libraries and book exhcange corners, some run by the National Library Board, are popping up all over Singapore’s neighbourhoods.
Simply drop off your books in good condition and trust that they’ll find their way into the right hands!
Find out more about sharing and donation guidelines here
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This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.
Read the full article here
