Frequently Asked Questions: General

The Library of Congress has available at all times, for donation to educational institutions, public bodies and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations in the United States, books which are surplus to its needs. For more information, see Surplus Books Program.

For additional resources, there exist many book donation programs that you can contact to inquire about your eligibility to receive publications that they distribute. Many of these programs maintain a web presence, or have contact information available online. For example, the American Library Association has created a Fact Sheet on "Sending Books to Needy Libraries: Book Donation Programs."

Additional directories and information sources for book donation organizations, as well as individual book donation sites, include:

• The American Library Association's International Relations Office's list of "Book Donation Programs"
• Directory of Book Donation Programs from Albany University 
• DC Books to Prisons Project (This group serves prisons in 35 states)
• International Book Project
• Books for Africa