What to Do with College Textbooks After Graduation

Wondering what to do with the college textbooks you’ve accumulated over the past few years? Now that you’re finally done with school (yay!) and ready to move out on your own, it’s time to say goodbye.

When you look at your pile of old college books, perhaps you think about the hours you spent studying in the library, or the relief you felt when you finally walked across the graduation stage in your cap and gown. Regardless, you don’t want to lug them all into your post-grad apartment.

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While you may think your only option at this point is to throw them out, there are plenty of other things you can do:

Sell Them

Want to know what to do with college textbooks? How does making a little extra cash sound? Believe it or not, there’s probably someone out there who is looking for the exact book that’s currently sitting in a box collecting dust in the corner of your apartment.

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You can do it yourself by posting something under the “books” section of Craigslist, or go to the website Sell Back Your Books to see how much that precious text is worth. Half.com and Amazon are simple options as well, and these sites will estimate how much the book is worth. You may also be able to sell the books back to your college or university.

Donate Them

If you couldn’t get a good price for your textbooks or are on a humanitarian streak, consider donating them to those in need. The American Library Association has a huge list of programs that gives books to students all over the world.

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Domestically, you can always donate your books to a local charity, food shelter or academic center. Many thrift stores also sell books and would likely be happy to take those textbooks off your hands.

Give Them to a Library

Speaking of donations, giving old college books to your local library is always an option. Many libraries have yearly book sales to help raise money for their free services. The best part? You can get a tax write-off out of the deal. Keep in mind that libraries will likely only accept your books if they’re in decent condition, so if they’re sporting pizza stains, you may have to think of another plan.

Recycle Them

If all else fails, you can always recycle your textbooks. Let’s be honest—they’re probably already terribly outdated and are just taking up space in your apartment. Take a moment to say your goodbyes and reflect on all that they’ve taught you; then take those textbooks to a recycling center.

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