Where Can I Donate My Used Science Books?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around options for donating or giving away used science books, particularly in the context of differential geometry, mathematical physics, and tensor analysis. Participants share their experiences and suggestions for finding suitable recipients or platforms for these books.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant attempted to donate books to a local library but was informed that the books did not meet their guidelines.
  • Another participant suggests that leaving books in a college setting with a "FREE" note could lead to them being taken quickly.
  • A suggestion is made to use the website www.bookcrossing.com, where users can leave books in public places and track their journeys.
  • A later reply highlights a specific instance of a book that has been left in a public location for an extended period, expressing interest in retrieving it.
  • Another participant compares the book tracking concept to "Where is George," which tracks the circulation of dollar bills, noting the interesting nature of the idea but expressing skepticism about traveling far for a single textbook.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present various ideas and experiences regarding book donation, but there is no consensus on the best method or platform for giving away used science books. Multiple competing views remain on the effectiveness of different approaches.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions may depend on local conditions, such as the policies of libraries or the culture at colleges regarding free items. The effectiveness of platforms like bookcrossing.com for textbooks remains uncertain.

waht
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I went to a local library to give away four of my Dover books on differential geometry, mathematical physics, and tensor analysis which I don't need anymore. The librarian said they couldn't take those books because it didn't meet their guidelines.

I tried ebay, but it failed, and tried Craigslist free giveaway couple of times, but received no replies.

I really don't want to throw them away. Is there any place, website, or idea to give it away...
 
Physics news on Phys.org
college/high school/ .. I am sure if you just put books anywhere in a college along with a "FREE" note on them, they are guaranteed to be disappeared in few moments.
 
As a fun idea check out www.bookcrossing.com
I had actually forgotten about that site until I read your post and started thinking. Basically the idea is you leave one or more books in a safe publicly accessible location then register them on the site. People can look up books on the site and then go look for them at the location they were left or they may simply stumble upon the book and take it home. I think you are supposed to mark the book in some fashion that will lead any finders to the site. Any one who takes a book is supposed to register its status on the site and then "release" it again when they are done with it noting its status and location on the site. In this way you are supposed to be able to keep track of traveling books from one place and owner to another.

I'm not sure how well it will work for textbooks but its an interesting idea. I've been meaning to "release" some books myself someday.
 
TheStatutoryApe said:
As a fun idea check out www.bookcrossing.com.
I did. What a great idea. I see that there is a copy of Quantum Mechanics by Franz Mandl that has been sitting on a bench outside of the shopping center in Coventry England for 4 years now. Instead of going to the University Library or sending my money to Amazon for a used copy, I am going to buy a round-trip ticket to England so I can pick up my free copy. Thanks.

Edit. Hey you guys, I got dibs. Don't be running over there to pick it up before me.
 
This is like "Where is George" where you can track where your dollars bills are circulating.

Interesting concept. Although I wouldn't book a flight half way across the world just for one text...
 

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