I accept Pat Mora donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: the poetry (Chants, Borders, Communion, Agua Santa), the memoir House of Houses, the nonfiction Nepantla, and the many children's books (Tomás and the Library Lady, A Library for Juana, Doña Flor, A Birthday Basket for Tía). You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all: I check every book by hand, and readable copies go back to readers.
Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
Pat Mora is a poet and children's author of the borderlands — and a literacy hero in the truest sense: she founded Día (El día de los niños / El día de los libros, "Children's Day / Book Day"), the national celebration that puts books into the hands of kids every spring. Several of her picture books, like Tomás and the Library Lady, are about the transforming power of a library card. That makes a Mora collection especially close to what I do. When one gets cleared, most people just want it to land somewhere that honors it. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.
What I take: all of it
The poetry
Chants (1984), Borders, Communion, Agua Santa / Holy Water, Aunt Carmen's Book of Practical Saints, and Adobe Odes.
Memoir & nonfiction
House of Houses (the family memoir) and Nepantla: Essays from the Land in the Middle.
Children's books & any condition
Tomás and the Library Lady, A Library for Juana, Doña Flor, A Birthday Basket for Tía, Listen to the Desert, Book Fiesta!, and the rest; plus reading copies, signed copies, and first printings — bring whatever's on the shelf.
Why bring the whole shelf
Donating takes one call or text: no research, no pricing, no listings, no shipping. Free pickup in the Albuquerque metro, or the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, any hour. I check every book by hand, readable copies go back to readers, and no readable book goes to the landfill. Here's where donated books go.
How free pickup works
Call or text 505-250-3804 (or schedule online), tell me roughly how much there is and where you are, and I add you to the next route through your area. I come to you and load it all. I cover Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, the East Mountains, and the surrounding metro, and I handle whole-house and estate cleanouts regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I donate Pat Mora books in Albuquerque?
Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: the poetry, the memoir, and the children's books. Call or text 505-250-3804.
Can I drop Pat Mora books off instead of waiting for a pickup?
Yes. The covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE takes them any hour, and someone is at the warehouse from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help unload a bigger load.
Children's picture books too?
Yes — they're exactly what classrooms and young readers need, and they go straight back into circulation. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate Pat Mora Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-pat-mora-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.