Donating books is a great way to reduce waste and help your community. But not all donation centers are created equal. Some have strict requirements, limited hours, or use your donations in ways you might not expect. I've compared the major options in Albuquerque so you can make an informed decision about where your books actually end up.
| Feature | NM Literacy Project | Goodwill | Savers | Public Library | Little Free Libraries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-off Hours | ✓ 24/7 Drop Box | Store hours only | Store hours only | Library hours only (Varies) | Anytime (Limited space) |
| Accepts Damaged Items | ✓ Yes, water damage included (mold: text a photo first) | Gently used or new only | ◔ Ask the store | No (good condition only) | ✗ No |
| Accepts DVDs/CDs | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Yes: records, cassettes, CDs, DVDs | ✗ No |
| Where Books Go | Resorted, resold, kept in circulation | Resold in store | Resold in store | Book sale or recycled | Stays in community box |
| Large Donation Handling | ✓ call me, I coordinate pickup | Paid pickup through ReSupply | Drop off only (no coordination) | Larger loads go to the Main Library; call ahead for 10 or more boxes | ✗ Not possible |
| Sorting Required | ✓ No sorting needed | Must be clean & sellable | Must be clean & sellable | Varies by location | Self-sorted (by others) |
Last verified October 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
New Mexico Literacy Project (NMLP)
For-profit, single-operator, accepts every condition tier, free in-home pickup metro-wide.
NMLP is a single-human operation: Josh Eldred drives the van, packs the boxes, hand-sorts every donation, and routes books through a three-track system. Founded in Albuquerque in 2019. The differentiator is operational scope rather than mission language: this is the only Albuquerque option that accepts every condition tier (including water-damaged and smoke-saturated material, with mold-affected books case by case) AND offers free in-home pickup AND has a 24/7 outdoor drop box AND publishes routing transparency.
- Drop-off hours: 24/7 covered, waterproof box outside the gate, near the road, at 5445 Edith Blvd NE (books, all media, clean wearable clothing). No fee, no appointment, no receipt required (acknowledgment available on request).
- Free pickup: Yes, anywhere in the Albuquerque metro (Rio Rancho, Corrales, the East Mountains, the South Valley, Bernalillo, Placitas, Edgewood, Los Lunas), scheduled by route. Have a closing date? Tell me and I'll say honestly whether I can make it. Call or text 505-250-3804.
- Conditions accepted: All four tiers (Shelf-Ready, Reader-Ready, Salvage-Ready, Recycle-Only). Water-damaged, highlighted, missing covers, dog-eared, foreign-language, religious, sheet music, magazines, encyclopedias, audiobooks-on-CD, vinyl LPs — all routed.
- Volume limit: None.
- Where the books go: Every box is sorted by hand. Readable books are resold to fund the work or passed on free to Little Free Libraries and community literacy partners; the rest is recycled as paper, and no readable book goes to the landfill.
- Tax-deductibility: No. NMLP is a for-profit New Mexico business. Donations are not tax-deductible. Written pickup acknowledgment available for the estate file (not a tax-deductible receipt).
- Best for: Estate cleanouts, downsizes, mover scenarios, mixed-condition libraries, any volume above what the trunk of one car can hold, any donor who wants the books to actually reach a reader rather than be "value-engineered" off the floor of a thrift store.
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico
501(c)(3) regional affiliate of Goodwill Industries International. Stores and donation centers across the Albuquerque metro; see goodwillnm.org/locations.
Goodwill of NM is a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax-deductible at fair market value subject to IRS Publication 561 documentation rules. The organization's revenue funds job training and employment programs locally, which is a real and well-documented social mission.
- Drop-off hours: Store hours only. No 24/7 option.
- Free pickup: No. Goodwill's home pickup runs through its partner ReSupply, which charges a fee.
- Conditions accepted: Selective. Books expected to be clean, dry, with intact bindings, free of mildew, smoke, or water damage. Condition decisions are made by store staff at intake; check Goodwill NM's own donation page for current guidelines.
- Volume limit: Soft cap. A few boxes per drop-off without coordination. Larger volumes may require advance coordination with the store manager and may still be partially declined.
- Where the books go: Donations are sorted and priced for Goodwill's thrift stores. Per Goodwill NM's own FAQ, items that don't sell go to its Clearance Corner, and items that aren't saleable go to its recycling program. Goodwill does not publish category-level outcome statistics.
- Tax-deductibility: Yes. Donor must self-document fair market value per IRS Publication 561. Form 8283 required for any non-cash donation over the IRS threshold.
- Best for: Small quantities of clean, current, popular-genre books when the donor wants a tax deduction and can drop off during store hours. Not built for whole-house executor pickups.
Savers / Unique Thrift
For-profit thrift chain.
Savers describes itself as a for-profit company and a registered professional fundraiser that pays partner nonprofits for donated goods. It has three Albuquerque stores: 2620 Carlisle Blvd NE, 1551 Mercantile Ave NE and 3400 Calle Cuervo NW. The "charity partner" model means Savers pays per-pound to a charity partner for the donations Savers receives, then resells them at retail margin. The donor's effective beneficiary is the charity partner; the financial beneficiary is Savers.
- Drop-off hours: Store hours only. Drop-off at posted donation door.
- Free pickup: No.
- Conditions accepted: Ask the store before bringing damaged books.
- Volume limit: Soft cap; generally limited to a few boxes per drop-off.
- Where the books go: Sorted, priced, and displayed for retail. Per Savers' own annual report, unsold books are sold to wholesale customers who reuse or repurpose them; Savers does not publish category-level outcomes.
- Tax-deductibility: The donor's deduction (if any) flows to the named charity partner, not to Savers. Documentation per IRS Publication 561.
- Best for: Donors who already routinely visit Savers and want to drop off a small quantity along with other thrift errands. Not appropriate for executor scenarios or mixed-condition libraries.
Friends of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Public Library
501(c)(3) volunteer group supporting APL. Periodic book sales fund library programs.
Library branches take small donations in good condition during open hours (not Ernie Pyle, Westgate or Special Collections; call ahead), and larger loads go to the Main Library downtown. The library does not take damaged books, magazines, Reader's Digest condensed books, encyclopedias or textbooks. The Friends of the Public Library, which sells what the library passes on, takes donations at the Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW, during its posted hours. Sources: the library's donation FAQ and the Friends' donation page.
- Drop-off hours: Library open hours at the branches, and the Friends' posted hours at the Main Library. Not 24/7.
- Free pickup: Generally no. Some volunteer-driven exceptions exist but are not standard.
- Conditions accepted: Selective. Books need to be gently used and in sellable condition. The library turns away damaged books (broken spines, stains, mildew, heavy highlighting), magazines, Reader's Digest condensed books, encyclopedias and textbooks.
- Volume limit: Small donations at the branches. Larger loads go to the Main Library, and 10 or more boxes need a call ahead.
- Where the books go: Books that pass intake go to the periodic sale tables. Books that don't sell at sale events rotate to subsequent sales, then to bulk recycling. The financial proceeds fund library programming.
- Tax-deductibility: Yes (Friends is 501(c)(3)). Documentation per IRS Publication 561.
- Best for: Small quantities of clean, current popular fiction and non-fiction when the donor wants a tax deduction and can bring them in during open hours. Not appropriate for whole-house collections, mixed-condition material, or any donation that requires pickup.
Better World Books drop boxes (where locally available)
Certified B Corp. Online used-book seller with proceeds supporting global literacy partners.
Better World Books is a Certified B Corporation that accepts book donations through outdoor drop boxes typically placed at retail or institutional partner locations. Whether a drop box is currently active in any given Albuquerque location varies by year and partner agreement; check betterworldbooks.com for current local boxes before driving to one. The model is online resale at scale (BWB ships globally) with proceeds going to BWB's named non-profit literacy partners.
- Drop-off hours: 24/7 at active drop-box locations.
- Free pickup: No.
- Conditions accepted: Posted instructions vary by box. Generally books in resellable condition. Damaged, mildewed, or water-damaged material is not the target.
- Volume limit: Box capacity per visit.
- Where the books go: BWB's central processing facility, then online listings via betterworldbooks.com. Unsold books route to global literacy partners or recycling.
- Tax-deductibility: BWB itself is a B Corp (for-profit); the giving flows to BWB's 501(c)(3) partners.
- Best for: Small quantities of clean books when a BWB box happens to be active near the donor's regular errands. Not appropriate for the volumes or conditions the other channels above also decline.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore Albuquerque
501(c)(3) thrift channel supporting Habitat for Humanity Greater Albuquerque. Primarily furniture/building materials.
The ReStore is a thrift channel specializing in furniture, appliances, building materials, fixtures, and household goods. Books are not on its published donation list.
- Drop-off hours: Store hours.
- Free pickup: Yes for qualifying furniture and large items; books typically not included in the pickup criteria.
- Conditions accepted (books): Not on its published donation list.
- Best for: Furniture, appliances, fixtures, and building materials — not books.
Little Free Library stewards (neighborhood-level)
Individual neighborhood box stewards. Designed for gradual community sharing, not bulk donations.
Little Free Library is a global non-profit organization (littlefreelibrary.org) that provides plans and stewardship resources for individual neighborhood boxes. Each box is run by a private steward — a homeowner, an HOA, a school, a small business. The boxes are small (typically holding 30-60 books at saturation) and operate on continuous rotation: books go in, books come out, no log, no permission needed.
- Drop-off hours: Anytime, when the box has space.
- Free pickup: No.
- Conditions accepted: Steward-regulated. Most stewards prefer good-condition books that will appeal to neighborhood readers.
- Volume limit: A small handful of books per visit. Anything more overflows the box and gets either pulled by the steward or rained on.
- Where the books go: Neighbor-to-neighbor sharing within the box's local catchment.
- Best for: A handful of titles a neighbor might enjoy. Not built for any donation volume above one or two books at a time per box.
The Bottom Line — Sequenced by Donor Scenario
Small quantity, clean condition, want a tax deduction: Friends of APL or Goodwill, depending on which has more convenient hours for the drop-off.
Furniture or building materials in addition to books: Habitat ReStore for the furniture, NMLP for the books, both in as part of the same regional run.
A whole house, an estate, an executor scenario, a downsize, a hoarder cleanup, or any mixed-condition library: NMLP. The other channels are not built for the volumes or conditions involved. Free in-home pickup, no donation pressure, no tax deduction. The trade-off is genuine: a deduction for books from these scenarios would typically be small even at a 501(c)(3) (used books carry a low fair market value, and IRS Publication 561 requires conservative valuation) and the channels that accept the deduction usually decline most of the volume anyway.
Signed or sentimental books: Keep the ones that matter to the family. Everything else can come in the same donation and is sorted by hand. For executors weighing fiduciary questions, see /donating-books-after-a-death-albuquerque.