The Evanston Public Library wants to help you find a good home for your previously read books, but in most cases we cannot accept direct donation of books to the Library. Given the large volume of used books in the Evanston community, moving, sorting, tagging and shelving books for lending or resale is a monumental task and requires many, many hours of labor, and many of the books donated are in rough (well-loved?) shape and cannot be lent or resold, so the Library must throw them away, incurring additional costs.
Please do not leave donated books in or near our book returns.
But you have options — including ways to give your old books new life while still benefitting EPL!
Donate books to our partner for reuse or recycling
Deposit your books in the big, green Better World Books 24-hour bin located outside the east entrance of the Main Library, 1703 Orrington Avenue.
Better World Books is a for-profit social enterprise and a global e-retailer that collects and sells books online and raises funds for non-profit literary organizations — a portion of the sales of all books donated at the EPL donation site will go to Evanston Public Library. Donations to Better World Books are not tax deductible.
Learn more about Better World Books >
Other recommended options
The following organizations often have the ability to accept book donations. Please call ahead to confirm these organizations are accepting donations:
- Friends of the Glencoe Public Library, 320 Park Avenue, Glencoe, (847) 835-7467.
- The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago; call 1-855-968-3662 for pick up at your home.
- Open Books; call 312-475-1355 for more information about this non-profit organization that cultivates the literacy skills of thousands of children and youth each year, from those who need intervention to those who desire enrichment
- The Salvation Army, 4335 Oakton Ave, Skokie, 800-728-7825
- Goodwill, 1916B Dempster St, Evanston, 847-905-1202
- Books4Cause, 3415 Madison St., Skokie, 1-800-570-3698
- Book Driver, Chicago