Book Donation Pickup
in Albuquerque

If you found this page, you're probably ready to donate books and you want the pickup to be easy. Good news: it's exactly that easy. I'm Josh Eldred, and I run New Mexico Literacy Project and its sister brand SellBooksABQ out of a warehouse at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A in Albuquerque's North Valley — right near the Montaño intersection. I do free book pickups across the Albuquerque metro every week. This page tells you everything you need to know to schedule one.

The short version: call or text 702-496-4214, I'll set a time, I show up, I load the books, and I'm out of your way. No charge. No minimum. No pre-sorting required. Not sure if anything in your collection is worth cash before donating? Use my free book evaluation service — text photos and I'll tell you what's valuable.

Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

How It Works: 3 Steps

Free book donation pickup in Albuquerque works in three simple steps: call or text, set a pickup window, and the books leave with the operator — no sorting, no heavy lifting on your end.

What I Pick Up

The short answer: almost everything made of paper or plastic media. The longer answer:

I also pick up electronics and e-waste for free through my sister service — computers, monitors, TVs (including CRTs), cables, phones, and peripherals. If you have both books and electronics to move, I can often handle both in the same trip. See my free e-waste pickup page for details.

What I can't Accept

NMLP cannot accept hazardous materials, wet or moldy items, or loose magazines without covers. Beyond those few exceptions, nearly everything else is welcome:

If you're not sure whether your books fall into one of these categories, just describe them when you call or text me a photo. A musty smell alone doesn't disqualify a book — nearly all old books smell that way. I'm talking about visible biological growth or physical water damage that's already destroyed the pages. When in doubt, mention it and let me make the call.

Where I serve: Albuquerque and Beyond

Free pickup is available across the full Albuquerque metro area and surrounding communities. Here's the geography:

Core ABQ Metro — Always Free, Fastest Scheduling

Extended Metro — Free, Regular Service

Extended Radius — Large Collections Welcome

For large collections — estate libraries, large personal collections, institutional cleanouts — I extend my reach to:

• Santa Fe: Especially for collections of 100+ boxes or significant estate library situations.
• Las Cruces: For very large collections. Call to discuss.
• Estancia / Moriarty / East Mountains beyond Edgewood: Case by case.
• Taos: For genuinely exceptional collections worth the drive.

If you're outside the core metro and have a sizable collection, call me at 702-496-4214 and describe what you have. I'll be straight with you about whether it makes sense for me to make the drive.

Minimum Quantities: There Aren't Any (For ABQ Metro)

For Albuquerque metro pickups, there is no minimum quantity. One box is fine. One shelf is fine. One bag is fine. I don't have a threshold you have to hit before I'll come out.

The reason I can do this: even a single box of books has enough value — either in resale, community donation, or materials recycling — to justify the pickup. I'm not doing you a favor at my own expense. The business model works because I sort efficiently and route books to the highest-value use for each one.

That said, for pickups far outside the metro (Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Taos), a larger collection does make the logistics work better. I'll always be upfront if that's a factor for your location.

What Happens to Your Books After I Pick Them Up

I'm proud of this part of the operation. Every book that comes through gets a real hand-sort, not a trip straight to Goodwill or the dumpster. Here's the pipeline:

The result: almost nothing that leaves your home with me goes to waste. The books that can be read again, are. The books that can't, are recycled. The books that have real value get that value extracted and reflected back into the community through my local operations.

The 24/7 Drop Bin Option

If you'd rather drop books off yourself — any time of day or night, no appointment, no contact — I have an outdoor drop bin at the warehouse.

The drop bin works well for small quantities — a bag or two of books, a box or two. For larger loads (more than 3–4 boxes), a scheduled pickup is easier for everyone. More details and directions on the 24/7 Drop Bin page.

Special Situations I handle

Estate Cleanouts

Estate situations — whether after a death, during downsizing, or for out-of-state family handling a property — are a significant part of what I do. Estate libraries can be large, often filling rooms. I handle them with care, including what I call Heirloom Rescue: a careful pass through papers, photographs, family Bibles, and personal material before anything leaves the property, so families don't inadvertently lose something irreplaceable.

For very large estate situations, my full estate cleanout service covers the whole property, not just the books. See also: after a death, out-of-state family, downsizing help.

Downsizing and Moving

Moving or downsizing often means confronting books that won't fit in the new space. I'm a regular part of that process for families across Albuquerque — sometimes called a few weeks before the move date, sometimes called the day before. Apartment renters facing a lease-end deadline are one of my most common pickup scenarios. Either way, I'll make it work. If you have a specific move-out deadline, tell me when you call and I'll prioritize your pickup. I've also written a detailed practical guide to downsizing your book collection in New Mexico that may be useful if you're still figuring out what to keep and what to let go.

Organizational and Institutional Pickups

I pick up from offices, schools, libraries (deaccessioned collections), churches, and other institutions doing book purges. Corporate and office book donations are a growing category — companies clearing conference rooms, refreshing lobbies, or relocating entire floors. Institutional pickups often involve large quantities and may require multiple trips or a specific loading situation — just describe what you have when you call and I'll plan accordingly.

Out-of-State Coordination

If you're coordinating a pickup from out of state — for a parent's home, a family estate, or a property you own remotely — I can work entirely by phone and text. I'll coordinate with whoever is at the property, confirm access, and get it done without you needing to be there in person. This is a situation I handle regularly. Call or text 702-496-4214.

Why Choose NMLP Over Goodwill, Savers, or the Library?

Fair question. There are other places in Albuquerque where you can donate books. Here's the honest comparison:

The biggest differentiator is free pickup. None of the alternatives come to you. If you have more than a car-load of books, the logistics of getting them to a drop-off location can be a serious obstacle — especially for older adults, people without a truck, or anyone dealing with a large estate. I eliminate that obstacle entirely.

The second differentiator is expertise. I know books. When I sort a collection, I'm making real decisions about value, not just sorting by whether something has a barcode or not. Collectible books get properly valued. Community-appropriate books get routed appropriately. The recycling is intentional, not accidental.