Last verified September 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
Where to Donate Children’s Books in Albuquerque
Bring them to me. I take children’s books of every kind, from chewed board books to YA, in any condition and any quantity. Drop them in my free 24/7 drop box, which is covered, waterproof and outside the gate near the road at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, in the North Valley, or have me come get them with a free pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro, scheduled by route. Call or text 505-250-3804.
Here is what I take: picture books (hardcover and softcover), board books (yes, even the chewed ones), early readers, leveled readers, chapter books, middle grade fiction and nonfiction, young adult novels, graphic novels and manga aimed at younger readers, activity books, coloring books, educational workbooks, Spanish-language and bilingual children’s books, and children’s nonfiction of every kind. If it was written for someone between zero and eighteen, I want it.
You don’t need to sort, box, or pull out the damaged copies. Leave them on the shelves if you like and I’ll load them. I hand-sort every book myself: readable copies go back out to young readers through community literacy partners and the Little Free Libraries I stock, some are resold to pay for the free pickups, and the ones too far gone are recycled as paper. No book goes to the landfill.
Clearing out a whole kids’ room? Toys, board games, puzzles and kids’ DVDs can come on the same pickup, and so can outgrown clothes if they’re clean and wearable. Books come first; the rest just saves you a second trip.
Board Books to YA: What I Take
Board books and picture books
Teething marks, torn flaps, crayon, sticker residue and bath-time warping are normal wear for a board book that did its job. I take them all. Picture books in any format are welcome too, dust jacket or not.
Early readers and chapter books
Series paperbacks arrive by the bagful, and broken runs are fine: you don’t need books one through twenty to donate book seven. Leveled readers from school are welcome.
Middle grade and YA
Paperback, hardcover, graphic novel or manga, it all goes in the same bag. Teen fiction is welcome in any format and any condition.
Workbooks, activity books and books in other languages
Educational workbooks and activity or coloring books are welcome, used or partly filled in; the used-up ones are recycled. Spanish-language, bilingual and other-language children’s books are welcome as well.
Outgrown Home Libraries
The children’s donation I pick up most is the outgrown home library: bins of board books from the toddler years, a wall of chapter books, and middle school series fiction, still in the garage long after the youngest moved on. Pull the few favorites you want to keep. Everything else can go in one visit: text 505-250-3804 with a rough count and where the books are, and I load it all.
Not ready to schedule? A trunkload fits the 24/7 drop box. Pull up, drop the bags or boxes in the chute, and you’re done.
Schools, Classrooms and Daycares
Weeded school library books, retired classroom sets and a daycare’s worn-out picture books all get the same free pickup. I work around the school or center schedule and load everything myself; nobody has to sort, box or inventory anything. Ex-library copies with stamps, barcodes, spine labels and Mylar covers are welcome.
Retiring teachers can follow my retiring teacher classroom library guide, and school librarians can start with school library donations. Surplus textbooks go the same way; see where to donate old textbooks.
Where Donated Children’s Books Go
I sort every children’s book myself. Readable copies, which is most of them, go free to community literacy partners and to the Little Free Libraries I keep stocked around the metro. A smaller share is resold online, and that resale is what pays for the free pickups and the drop box. Books with missing pages, mold or board-book layers peeling apart go to a regional paper recycler. No book goes to the landfill.
The full route from your donation to its next reader is on the lifecycle of a donated book page.
The 24/7 Drop Box
The fastest way to hand off a trunk of kids’ books is the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107. It sits outside the gate near the road, it’s covered and waterproof, and it needs no appointment. Bags, boxes and loose books all work.
Bringing more than fits, or finding the box full? Text 505-250-3804, or come between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., seven days a week, when someone is at the warehouse to help you unload. For more than about ten boxes, a pickup is usually easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I donate children's books in Albuquerque?
Do you take board books even if they're chewed on?
Does the library take donated children's books?
Do you pick up from schools and daycares?
Are children's book donations tax-deductible?
How many books do you need to schedule a pickup?
Do you take toys and games along with books?
What about books in Spanish or bilingual books?
Do you accept ex-library books?
What happens to the children's books after donation?
Ready to Clear Out the Kids’ Books?
Free pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro. No sorting, no boxing, no minimum. One call handles everything.
Call or Text 505-250-3804NMLP is a for-profit business. Donations are not tax-deductible. I am transparent about this because I believe trust matters more than a tax letter.
Related Pages
Retiring Teacher Guide
Donating classroom libraries and decades of teaching materials. Free pickup from your school or home.
School Library Donations
Free pickup for weeded collections and surplus inventory from Albuquerque schools.
Free Book Pickup
Schedule a free pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro. Any quantity, any condition, no sorting required.
24/7 Drop Box
Outdoor donation bin at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. Open around the clock, every day. Drive up, drop off, done.
More book guides: donate books in Albuquerque · old textbooks · old encyclopedias · old magazines · book pickup near me
Other Children's-Literacy Programs You Might Be Searching For
A lot of Albuquerque donors search for these well-known programs first, then find out their model doesn't accept direct used-book donations from the public. Honest breakdowns of how each one actually works — or jump straight to the consolidating hub that compares all five side-by-side:
All 5 Programs Side-by-Side — The Donor's Honest Map (hub)
The consolidating reference: comparison matrix of all five programs, decision tree by donor situation (have used books / want to financially support / teach at a high-poverty school / am a parent of a 0-5yr / want tax receipt / lead a school), and the honest detail of where used kids' books actually go after NMLP pickup.
Read to Me Program of New Mexico
Per program staff (May 2026), Read to Me accepts donated children's books — all their books are donated. They partner with Dolly Parton's foundation and with the Albuquerque nonprofit Libros for Kids. Honest guide to how their model works and where NMLP's pickup fits in for larger or messier loads.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
DPIL mails one new age-appropriate book per month to enrolled kids through Penguin Random House. They don't accept used-book donations — the program is structurally a new-book mail program. Three ways to actually support DPIL, plus where your used kids' books should go.
Reach Out and Read
Pediatricians hand new books to kids at well-child visits as a clinical literacy intervention. The program runs on new books in pristine condition — used-book donations from the public aren't accepted. Three ways to actually support the program, plus where used kids' books should go.
First Book
DC-based nonprofit (1992) that delivers new books at deeply discounted publisher prices to a national network of registered educator-members serving low-income kids. The Marketplace runs on new inventory, not used-book donations. If you teach at a school serving low-income students, you almost certainly qualify to register.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
Oldest US children's-literacy nonprofit, founded 1966 by Margaret McNamara. In-person distributions at partner schools where every kid chooses a new book to keep. Books come from publisher partnerships — used-book donations from the public aren't part of the model.