Home renovations and remodels have a way of forcing you to deal with things you've been ignoring for years. Walk through almost any Albuquerque home undergoing construction, and you'll find shelves overflowing with books that haven't been touched in months or years. Gutting entire rooms or pulling out built-in shelves for a redesign — those packed bookshelves become a problem that needs solving before the contractors arrive.
Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
The Remodel Book Dilemma
The typical scenario plays out in countless adobe homes across the North Valley and throughout Albuquerque. Demo day is scheduled. Contractors are booked. You look at your overflowing bookshelves and face a choice: box everything up temporarily, hoping you'll have time to sort it later, or make a decision about what actually matters to you.
Here's what usually happens with the boxes: they don't get unpacked. They sit in garages, spare rooms, or storage units for months. By the time your remodel is finished and life settles down, those boxes become permanent fixtures. It's easier to leave them packed than to sort through hundreds of books when you're already managing paint colors, flooring decisions, and contractor schedules.
A Better Approach: Donate Before Demo Day
Rather than creating more clutter that will slow down your renovation, consider a cleaner approach: donate what you don't truly need before the work begins. Keep your genuine favorites—the books you actually read, reference books you use, and titles you want to display in your renovated space. Everything else has a better future if it's in someone else's hands where it will be read and enjoyed.
This practical strategy accomplishes multiple goals at once. You reduce the number of decisions the renovation crew needs to work around. You clear valuable shelf space that you can design around in your new layout. And you avoid the regret of unpacking boxes months later wondering why you kept books you never look at.
NMLP Accepts Everything: Books, DVDs, CDs
Whether your shelves hold fiction collections, reference books, children's books your kids have outgrown, DVDs gathering dust, or CDs from years ago, New Mexico Literacy Project accepts it all in any condition. I understand that renovation projects sometimes mean you're discovering items in unexpected places—books shoved behind other books, media you forgot you had, duplicates that accumulated over the years.
I make sure good books reach people who'll actually read them, getting them into the hands of people who will read and use them. Since my founding, I've handled more than 500,000 pounds of books. Your donations become part of that work — connecting books with readers.
Free Pickup: I Come Before Your Demo Day
One of the biggest barriers to donating during a renovation is logistics. You're already managing countless contractor details. The last thing you need is worrying about how to transport dozens of boxes of books somewhere across town.
That's why I offer free pickup. Call me at 702-496-4214 and tell me your demo day timeline. I'll schedule a pickup time that works with your renovation schedule—ideally right before construction starts so you don't have to deal with the books during the chaos of remodeling. I'll come to your Albuquerque home, handle the heavy lifting, and remove the books so your contractors can get straight to work.
24/7 Drop Box: Flexibility for Your Timeline
If you prefer to handle the logistics yourself, or if your renovation timeline makes scheduling tricky, I have another option. My 24/7 book drop box is located at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107 (at the corner of Edith and Montano in the North Valley).
You can make trips to the drop box on your own schedule—early morning before work, during a contractor break, or whenever fits your day. It's available 24/7, so dawn organizers, lunch-break droppers, and after-dinner unloaders all get the same access.
Perfect Timing for Kids' Books
Home renovations often coincide with other life transitions. Your kids grow up. Picture books that engaged toddlers become clutter in a pre-teen's room. Board books from the baby phase can be donated to families who need them. A home renovation is the perfect opportunity to sort through children's books they've outgrown and pass them along to readers who will treasure them.
This teaches your children that their outgrown items have value and purpose beyond their home. Instead of teaching them that used things get thrown away, you're showing them that thoughtful donation keeps items in circulation.
Make Your Renovation Cleaner and Easier
Your home renovation will be stressful enough with contractor schedules, budget adjustments, and design decisions. Don't add to that stress by keeping books you don't want or need. Donate what doesn't serve you, keep what you love, and give your contractors a cleaner workspace to transform your home.