Many Albuquerque donors with mixed cleanout material assume the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 4900 Menaul Blvd NE accepts books because it’s a 501(c)(3) thrift-style operation. The honest answer is that books are not a primary accepted donation at ReStore. This page covers what ReStore does take, what it doesn’t, and where the books should go instead.
Disclosure: I run NMLP. Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds affordable housing for low-income families in the metro. The ReStore retail revenue funds their home-building program. Donations to Habitat are tax-deductible; donations to NMLP are not (NMLP is a for-profit business). Both are legitimate operations. They serve different donor situations.
Habitat ReStore Albuquerque — the facts
- Address: 4900 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 (Midtown/University area)
- Phone: (505) 265-0057
- Hours: 9:00 AM–4:30 PM Monday through Saturday
- Drop-off: at the rear of the store during business hours
- Free pickup: available for large items by calling (505) 265-0057
- Tax status: 501(c)(3) (Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity) — donations are tax-deductible
- Mission funded: affordable home-building for low-income families in the metro
What ReStore takes
The ReStore inventory is built around home renovation and construction:
- Appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers) in working condition
- Furniture (couches, dressers, tables, chairs) in good condition
- Mattresses (with conditions — call to verify what they’re accepting that week)
- Kitchen cabinets and counters
- Doors and windows in usable condition
- Lighting fixtures and ceiling fans
- Plumbing fixtures (sinks, toilets, faucets)
- Hardware, fasteners, and tools
- Building materials (lumber, drywall, flooring, tile, paint)
- Garden and landscaping supplies
What ReStore generally doesn’t take
Books are not a primary accepted inventory category. Other categories typically declined:
- Books, magazines, periodicals, encyclopedias — not their inventory model
- Clothing, shoes, accessories — route to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, arc Thrift Stores instead
- Hazardous materials (paint cans with paint, batteries, fluorescent tubes, chemicals)
- Used carpet (typically declined)
- Items in poor condition or non-working appliances
- Toys, electronics outside small-appliance category
Bringing books to the ReStore donation dock results in a polite decline at the door. Staff occasionally accept books as a one-off favor depending on the day, but it’s not the channel built for the donation type. Better to route directly to a book-specific channel.
Where to donate books in Albuquerque instead
For any condition, free pickup, 24/7 drop bin:
New Mexico Literacy Project — 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107. Free 24/7 outdoor drop bin, free home pickup at 505-250-3804, any condition (including water-damaged, ex-library, textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, unsorted bulk), no sorting required, books-and-media specialty. Donations are not tax-deductible (NMLP is for-profit), but no condition rules apply at the curb. Hand-sorted to direct buyers via Amazon and eBay, community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries.
For tax-deductible donations of clean current books:
- Goodwill of New Mexico — multiple ABQ locations, 501(c)(3), workforce development mission
- The Salvation Army — 5 ABQ Family Thrift Stores plus SATruck free pickup, 501(c)(3)
- Savers — 3 ABQ locations (for-profit-with-partner-nonprofit model)
- arc Thrift Stores — 3301 Coors Blvd NW, 501(c)(3) supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Albuquerque Public Library + Friends Bookshop — 18 branches + Bookshop at 501 Copper Ave NW
The hybrid play if you have books AND building materials
- Pre-sort. Pull building materials, appliances, furniture, fixtures, hardware, and tools into a Habitat ReStore stack. Pull books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and reading-related media into an NMLP stack.
- Schedule Habitat ReStore. Call (505) 265-0057 to arrange free pickup for large items, or drop off at 4900 Menaul Blvd NE during business hours. Ask for the tax-deduction receipt if you itemize.
- Call NMLP. 505-250-3804. I pick up the books that ReStore won’t take. No sorting, no condition rules, I load.
- Result. Habitat ReStore absorbs the construction-supply donations and funds local affordable home-building. NMLP hand-sorts the books and routes them to local readers. No books in the landfill, both Albuquerque nonprofits supported in their respective lanes.
Sources and verification
- Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity ReStore: habitatabqrr.org/restore
- Habitat ABQ contact and hours: habitatabqrr.org/contact-us
- Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity: habitat.org local affiliate page
- Yelp ABQ Habitat ReStore reviews: Yelp (2.3★, 25 reviews)
- NMLP Yelp profile: yelp.com/biz/new-mexico-literacy-project-albuquerque
- NMLP location and policies: newmexicoliteracyproject.org
Related comparison pages
- Goodwill vs NMLP for book donation
- Salvation Army vs NMLP
- Savers vs NMLP
- arc Thrift Stores vs NMLP
- Albuquerque Public Library vs NMLP
- Bookworks Albuquerque vs NMLP — sibling clarification page for the indie new-books-only bookstore at 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW
- Complete guide: 18 Albuquerque book donation channels compared
Last reviewed 2026-05-16. NMLP is a for-profit New Mexico business; donations are not tax-deductible. Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; donations are tax-deductible. ReStore accepted-items policy cited is summarized from their own published page at habitatabqrr.org/restore — calling (505) 265-0057 before bringing a borderline donation is recommended. Corrections: [email protected].