Anyone know where I can buy or get books by the pound to start a new library for our local jail. To help them read and prep them for a GED?

Comments

• Hermit_Lailoken@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Have you tried your local thrift store? Maybe librarians might know where to get books cheaply/donations?

  source

  • Habahnow@sh.itjust.works ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Thrift stores are definitely a good and cheap option. They may even work with you to provide a steep discount with a higher quantity purchase.

    source
• MintyFresh@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  https://booksbythefoot.com/product/boxed-mass-market-paperbacks/

  source
• GiantRobotTRex@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Be sure to check the jail’s donation policy. Many won’t let you just drop off books there. You may have to order the books through specific vendors and they may restrict what types of books are allowed.

  source

  • Patnou@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Only thing is no hardback books.

    source

    • HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      I’ve read hardbacks in prison.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• DagwoodIII@piefed.social ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Contact larger libraries.

  I live in NYC and the public libraries here literally throw away tons of books every year. The big city libraries and colleges in your area probably do the same.

  source
• surewhynotlem@lemmy.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Honestly? Go on Facebook marketplace or the buy-nothing groups. Tell them you want free books. People have piles of books in their houses they just don’t care about. I’ve got a ton of kids books I want to give away. And I could part with a bunch of my adult ones too.

  But shipping is expensive. So you’ll want to look local.

  source
• treadful@lemmy.zip ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Talk to other libraries

  source
• skeezix@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Dont forget to tell Red to get busy living.

  source
• HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I would check libraries. They have to get rid of books all the time as they get old or run out of room for things that are more wanted currently. When book from a popular series comes out or if it becomes popular they get a bunch of copies. Like sometimes as many as a dozen (back in the day at least when physical books were the main thing) but then once most of their patrons have read it and its not as big in demand they drop down to half a dozen. Later still when new crazes have surpassed it maybe 3 and when everyones forgotten about it 1 or worse 0. Of course they will always retain the ones in best condition.

  source
• foodandart@lemmy.zip ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Thrift shops, yard sales… also local libraries often release their old books when new copies come in, so that’s an angle to investigate…

  source
• WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I bet if you put up an ad, on Facebook marketplace or whatever your equivalent is, stating that you are willing to pick up boxes of books (I’d recommend a 3 or 4 box minimum but whatever) people will contact you.

  source
• Zos_Kia@jlai.lu ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I used to collect books and the cheapest option at the time was ebay. I would search things like “science fiction bulk” and select the lot with the best titles. Generally I could find some around 1€ per book, don’t know if that’s still plausible.

  source
• shittydwarf@sh.itjust.works ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  The big libraries here have book sales once per year where you can pay by the box. Might be worth it to touch base with the ones in your area

  source
• lovely_reader@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Where I live, the libraries have regular sales, but then also the whole library system together will have semiannual book sales at the civic center. Everything is cheap to begin with but then on the last day, you can fill a box for $10 or $20—and the box can be as big as you like, as long as you can get it out of the building. They really need to get rid of the books. You should check with your library and see how they get rid of their culled books.

  source
• Whirling_Cloudburst@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Be sure to make sure they will let you bring them those books too. Some corrective institutions prohibit books unless they come shipped direct from the source (like Amazon for example).

  source
• ickplant@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Goodwill outlets or “the bins” (assuming you are in the U.S.). They sell stuff by the pound and often charge less for books. It’s like the last stop for stuff before it goes to a landfill. My husband constantly finds great books there.

  source
• Paragone@lemmy.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Put posters up, to ask the local community, like at the supermarket, if anybody’s got books like that, that they’d be willing to donate.

  _ /\ _

  source