Most-Asked Questions About Donating Books in Albuquerque
Free pickup, what I take, what happens after, estate cleanouts, find-a-book, and the trade-offs vs Goodwill, Friends of the Library, Bookworks, and Better World Books — the 52 questions every Albuquerque donor asks before scheduling.
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I'm Josh Eldred. I run the New Mexico Literacy Project, a one-person Albuquerque book operation. This page answers everything I get asked over phone, text, and email before pickups. No marketing fluff — just direct answers, including the things most donation services prefer not to discuss (tax-deductible status, how the math works, what really happens to books that don't sell). Skim the chips below to jump to a category, or text 702-496-4214 if your question isn't here.
Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
The Quick Basics
Is the New Mexico Literacy Project a charity or nonprofit?
No. The New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit Albuquerque book business run by one person — Josh Eldred. I take donated books, resell the saleable ones on Amazon and eBay, donate reading-condition copies to schools and Little Free Libraries, and recycle what's truly unsalvageable. The 'Literacy Project' part of the name reflects the outcome of the work — books staying in circulation instead of going to the landfill — not a 501(c)(3) status. I deliberately don't claim charity status because I want every donor to know exactly what I am.
Is my book donation tax-deductible?
No. Because the New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit business, not a registered 501(c)(3) charity, donations to me are not tax-deductible. If a tax write-off is your priority, the Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library, ABC Community School Partnership, and Goodwill Industries of New Mexico all accept book donations and issue receipts. The trade-off: those organizations have hours, drop-off restrictions, and condition rules. I come to your house, take everything in any condition, and never charge a fee.
Where are you located in Albuquerque?
Drop-off and warehouse is at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107 — just north of Comanche on Edith, in the warehouse district near the I-25/I-40 interchange. Pickups happen at your address; you don't need to come to me.
Do you actually pick up books for free?
Yes. Free pickup is the core of the service. No fee, no catch, no minimum. I drive an SUV, I show up on the day I agreed on, I take the books, I'm out of your hair in 15-30 minutes. Pickup is free because I make my money on the books themselves — the saleable ones get listed on Amazon and eBay; the donation-grade ones go to schools and Little Free Libraries; the rest is recycled. Your only cost is letting me know you have books.
How fast can you pick up?
or for most of Albuquerque metro. I keep evenings and weekends open for pickups since most donors have day jobs. If you call or text 702-496-4214 in the morning, I can usually be there by afternoon. Estate and downsize situations with a hard deadline (closing date, move-out) get priority routing.
What's the catch? Why is this free?
There isn't a catch. The economics work because the resale margin on the 5-15% of donated books that turn out to be saleable on Amazon or eBay covers the cost of picking up, sorting, and donating the rest. Most book donations to thrift stores get culled and pulped because thrift stores don't have the time or expertise to identify which 5% are valuable. I do — that's the whole business. You get a free pickup; I get raw inventory; the books get a second life instead of a landfill.
Can I just drop them off instead?
Yes. Drop-off is welcome at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A during business hours. Call or text 702-496-4214 first to make sure I'm there — I'm often out on pickups. There's a covered drop area near the unit door if I'm not in. You don't need to box the books, but a box, bag, or open container makes carrying them easier on both of us.
Why is your business named the 'New Mexico Literacy Project' if it's a for-profit?
Because keeping books in circulation and out of the landfill is what literacy work looks like at the warehouse level. The name describes the outcome — books reaching readers instead of trash compactors. It's not a 501(c)(3) status claim, and I don't accept tax-deductible donations. The brand was established when I started the operation, and I've kept it because every donor who has asked has agreed: a name should describe what the work actually does.
Pickup & Logistics
What areas of Albuquerque do you serve for free pickup?
Albuquerque proper, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Placitas, the East Mountains (Tijeras, Cedar Crest, Sandia Park, Edgewood), the South Valley, the North Valley, Los Ranchos, Los Lunas, Belen, and most of the metro within an hour of central Albuquerque. If you're outside that range, call 702-496-4214 — for larger collections (200+ books) I'll often drive farther.
Do you pick up in Rio Rancho?
Yes. Rio Rancho — including Cabezon, Enchanted Hills, and the Sandoval County side of NM-528 — is on the free-pickup map. Corrales is also covered.
Do you pick up in the East Mountains?
Yes. Tijeras, Cedar Crest, Sandia Park, Edgewood, and the South 14 corridor are all covered. The East Mountains have a high volume of estate and downsize donations because of the older retiree population, so I make East Mountain runs once or twice a week.
How many books do I need to have for you to come pick up?
Whatever you have. Five books or five thousand. There's no minimum and no maximum. The most common pickup is one to ten boxes; the largest pickup I've done was a four-bedroom house entirely converted to a private library. If it's just a small bag, I'll still come, especially if I'm already in your neighborhood for another pickup.
Can you pick up the ?
Often, yes. If you call before noon and you're in central Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, or the North/South Valley, I can usually be there the same afternoon or evening. East Mountains and farther-flung pickups may need a one-day window for routing efficiency. Estate hard-deadline situations always get bumped to the front of the line.
I'm out of town — can a family member or neighbor hand off the books?
Yes. Just give me their name, the address, and a phone number, and I'll coordinate a pickup window directly with them. I do this frequently for out-of-state heirs handling Albuquerque estates remotely. Confirmation that the pickup happened goes back to whoever scheduled it.
Do I need to box the books up first?
No. I bring my own boxes and bins. If you've already boxed them, that's helpful but not required. Loose books on a shelf, in piles, in laundry baskets — whatever's easiest for you. I sort and rebox at the warehouse.
What time of day do you do pickups?
Mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends — pickup time is whatever works for you. Most people prefer after-work (5-8 PM) or Saturday morning windows. I send a text when I'm 20 minutes out so you don't sit waiting.
What I Accept
What kinds of books do you accept?
All of them. Hardcovers, paperbacks, mass-market, trade paperback, library deaccession, ex-libris, signed copies, first editions, book club editions, religious books, cookbooks, textbooks, children's books, art books, coffee-table books, manuals, reference, fiction, nonfiction, fine-press, ARCs, galleys. The premise of the service is that I sort. You don't have to.
Do you take textbooks?
Yes. Outdated college textbooks, K-12 textbooks, professional manuals, technical references — all welcome. Textbooks rarely sell at full price, but recent editions of high-demand titles (nursing, engineering, law) can have resale value. Older textbooks are routed to schools, Little Free Libraries, or recycling depending on condition. For the full guide, see donate textbooks in Albuquerque. UNM and CNM students should also check the end-of-semester textbook guide and the college textbook buyback comparison. Specialty guides: medical/nursing, law, homeschool curriculum.
Do you take old encyclopedias and Reader's Digest condensed sets?
Yes, but with full transparency: full encyclopedia sets and Reader's Digest Condensed Books are essentially impossible to resell — the market collapsed in the late 1990s when the internet made reference encyclopedias obsolete. I'll still take them. They get routed to art-supply repurposing (decoupage, altered books) or paper recycling. Most thrift stores won't accept these at all, so I'm often the only easy option.
Do you take magazines?
Selectively. National Geographic, Life, Time, vintage Playboy (yes, really — for the fiction and feature articles), New Yorker back issues, and certain specialty magazines (vintage hot rod, fashion, interior design) have a small market. Most general-interest magazines from the last 30 years don't and go to paper recycling. If you have a stack and aren't sure, I'll take a look.
What about damaged, moldy, or water-damaged books?
I'll still come. Water-damaged, mold-affected, smoke-damaged, and pest-affected books can't be resold or donated forward, but I take them off your hands so you don't have to deal with disposal. Moldy books especially — most thrift stores reject them, and curbside recycling won't accept water-damaged paper. I have a relationship with a paper recycler that processes them. Don't waste your time sorting; just let me see them.
Do you take VHS, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, or cassettes?
Records (vinyl LPs and 45s) — yes, very interested. Vintage and rare vinyl has strong collector value. CDs and DVDs in original cases — yes, low value but I'll route them to thrift donation or buyback services. VHS tapes — yes, but most have no resale value and route to recycling. Cassettes — same as VHS. If it's part of an estate-library cleanout, I'll take all the media along with the books.
Do you take cookbooks?
Yes — and cookbooks are often more valuable than people think. Vintage Junior League / community cookbooks, James Beard Award winners, signed celebrity-chef cookbooks, and out-of-print regional cookbooks (especially Southwest, New Mexico, Native cuisine) frequently sell on the collector market. Modern reprints and grocery-store cookbooks have less resale value but still get routed forward to schools and Little Free Libraries.
Do you take religious books and Bibles?
Yes. Modern Bibles, study Bibles, theology, devotional books, sermon collections, and religious-instruction texts are all welcome. Family Bibles with handwritten inscriptions and genealogy notes are kept intact when possible and offered back to family if anyone wants them. I never throw a Bible directly into recycling without first checking for personal inscriptions.
What Happens After Pickup
What happens to the books once you pick them up?
Three-track sort at the warehouse. Track one: 5-15% of books are saleable on Amazon FBM or eBay — those get listed, photographed, priced, and shipped to customers worldwide. Track two: 30-50% are reading-condition books that get donated forward to Albuquerque schools, Little Free Libraries, hospice waiting rooms, jail libraries, or community centers. Track three: 35-65% are too damaged, outdated, or low-demand for either path and go to paper recycling. The exact percentages depend on the donation; estate libraries skew higher on track one, garage cleanouts skew higher on track three.
How do I know my books actually go somewhere meaningful and aren't just trashed?
Fair question. Three answers. First: I post photos and updates on Google Business Profile and the website showing books being routed to specific schools and Little Free Libraries — those posts have dates and locations. Second: I'm happy to tell you specifically where any sentimental volume ended up if you want to know — just text the title afterward. Third: the math doesn't work if I trash everything. Resale-track books fund the operation, so I have a direct economic incentive to identify them rather than dump everything.
What if there's an unexpectedly valuable book in my donation?
I'll tell you. If I'm sorting your boxes and find a signed first edition or a high-value rare book, I send a text or call. You then have three options: (1) take it back if it has sentimental value; (2) split the resale — I sell it, take a sourcing/listing/shipping cut, send you the rest; (3) leave it and let me handle it as part of the donation. Most people pick option three because they donated specifically to be done with the books, but a meaningful number ask for the call.
Do I get money for valuable books?
If you want it, yes. The default is donation — you give the books, I do whatever I do. But if I find a high-value piece in your donation and you'd rather split the resale than donate it, that's a conversation I'm willing to have. A typical split for a mid-range value and above book is 50/50 after Amazon/eBay fees and shipping costs. For lower-value books the math doesn't justify the bookkeeping, so I keep the default donation pathway.
Can I see what my books sold for?
Yes, on request. I keep records of what I list and where it sold. If you donate ten boxes and want a follow-up on what specifically generated revenue, ask. I won't share full inventory details (that's competitive information) but I can confirm specific titles and sale prices for books from your donation. Most donors don't want this — they donated to be done with it — but the option is there.
Where do the books that don't sell and don't get donated forward end up?
Albuquerque-area paper recyclers. The recycling pathway is the last resort for water-damaged, moldy, smoke-affected, outdated reference (older encyclopedias, obsolete tax guides), and books with structural damage that prevent any reading use. The pulped paper goes back into the paper supply chain. Nothing goes to landfill — that's the whole point of the operation. For the deeper comparative analysis of what statistically happens to donated books at every major Albuquerque option — including Goodwill of NM, Savers, Better World Books, Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library, the public-library system, City of Albuquerque curbside recycling, the Cerro Colorado landfill, and NMLP — with public-record citations, see the full lifecycle investigation.
Estates & Special Situations
I'm executor of an estate in Albuquerque — can you help?
Yes — estate libraries are about 30% of my volume. Send the address, the rough size of the library (one bookshelf, one room, whole house), and your timeline (closing date, move-out, family deadline). I show up, sort on-site or take everything to the warehouse, and clear the room within the window you need. No fee. If valuable items surface during the sort, I'll tell you so you can route them however the estate wants.
Do you do whole-library cleanouts? Like every book in the house?
Yes. The largest single library cleanout I've done was four bedrooms and a dedicated library room — about 8,000 volumes. That took two days and three SUV loads. Full-house cleanouts get scheduled in 2-4 hour blocks and I bring extra boxes. Tell me the rough scale when you call so I can plan.
What about hoarder situations or houses where the books have been sitting in piles for decades?
Yes. I've done multiple cleanouts of hoarder houses where books were stacked floor-to-ceiling with no organization. Those situations require more time on-site (4-6 hours rather than 30 minutes) and sometimes a follow-up day. I bring a respirator and gloves and work through the stacks systematically. No judgment, no extra fee.
I'm downsizing, not handling an estate — does the same service apply?
Yes. Downsize pickups are common — moving to a smaller place, moving to assisted living, kids leaving home, partner moving in. Same free-pickup, no-minimum service. The downsize call is often the easiest because the donor is right there, can walk me through what's going, and can answer questions about specific books in real time.
Can you help a senior parent who's moving into a care facility?
Yes — and this is one of the most common pickups I do. Adult children handling a parent's move-in often have a 2-4 week window to clear the house before the closing or rental turnover. I work directly with the family, with the senior if they want to be involved, and with senior-move managers and care-facility transition coordinators if there's one in the picture. No fee, flexible windows, willing to do multiple trips.
I have books I think might be rare or valuable first editions — what should I do?
Don't list them on eBay yourself. The eBay collector market is a snake pit for non-experts and you're statistically much more likely to undersell a real first or oversell a book-club-edition lookalike. Instead: text photos to 702-496-4214 of the copyright page, the dust jacket (with flap), and the title page. I'll tell you whether you have a true first, a first-printing, a book-club edition, a later printing, or something else, and whether the resale path is worth the time and expertise. The 'I might have rare books' check is free.
I have signed books — same answer?
Same answer plus: if I think the signature might be authentic, I'll lay out the seven-tier authentication framework — closed pool dating, signing-venue history, exemplar comparison, ink/aging, inscription patterns, autopen detection, provenance — and give you a confidence read. Authenticated signed firsts from closed-pool authors (McCarthy, Hillerman, Anaya, Zelazny, Bradford) can multiply 2x to 5x over the unsigned price. Authentic vs autopen vs forged is the difference between a significant sum and almost nothing, so the work is worth doing.
I have boxes of books that have been in a garage for ten years — moldy, dusty, water-damaged. Still want them?
Still want them. Don't sort, don't try to clean, don't apologize. I've seen books that were rained on, books with mouse damage, books stored next to a leaky water heater, books with cigarette-smoke saturation. I take the whole pile. The handful that are still salvageable get cleaned. The rest goes to recycling. You're not 'wasting my time' by donating damaged books — you're saving yourself the work of disposal, which was the entire point of the call.
Trust & Legitimacy
Who runs the New Mexico Literacy Project?
Josh Eldred. One person. I do every pickup, every sort, every listing, every donation route, every reply to every email and text. There's no team, no employees, no volunteers driving around in my name. If you scheduled a pickup, the person showing up is me. If you got a text reply, it came from my phone. If you read this FAQ and have a follow-up, calling 702-496-4214 reaches me directly.
How long have you been doing this?
Full-time since 2024 in the current form, with informal book pickups going back several years before that. The shift to full-time was the result of running the math on book-donation pickups: thrift stores were turning away most donations because they couldn't sort efficiently, donors had nowhere easy to send books, and the resale-track economics worked. The business has been operating under the New Mexico Literacy Project name since the start of the full-time pivot.
Are you a real, registered Albuquerque business?
Yes. Registered with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, Bernalillo County, and the City of Albuquerque. The business address (5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A) is the actual warehouse. The phone number (702-496-4214) is my actual phone. The Google Business Profile, the website, the listings — all real, all verifiable, all me.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. Commercial general liability insurance covers in-home pickups in case anything goes wrong (a dropped box, a scuffed wall) — though in 1,000+ pickups I've not had to file. If you'd like a copy of the certificate of insurance for your records (especially common for executor of estate situations or HOA-managed buildings), text 702-496-4214 and I'll send it.
How can I see reviews from people who've used you?
Google Business Profile is the best place. Search 'New Mexico Literacy Project Albuquerque' on Google or Google Maps. The profile has the full review thread with photos. As of late April 2026 the profile holds 5.0 stars across all reviews. I also link the review URL on the website so you can read them without leaving the site.
How I'm Different from Other Options
How are you different from Goodwill?
Three differences. First: I come to you (free pickup); Goodwill is drop-off only. Second: I take everything in any condition; Goodwill rejects damaged, moldy, smoke-affected, and most older textbooks. Third: I sort and route books to the highest-value path (collector resale, school donation, Little Free Library), where Goodwill bulks the donation and most books get pulped if they don't sell at the bin store. The trade-off: Goodwill is a 501(c)(3), so they issue a tax-deductible receipt; I don't because I'm for-profit.
Why not just take them to Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library?
Friends of the Library is a great option for tax-deductible donations of clean, recent, popular-genre books. The trade-offs: drop-off only at limited hours, they reject damaged books and most older textbooks, and they have storage limits that mean some donations get bulked to recycling within weeks. If your books are clean and recent and you want a tax receipt, go to Friends of the Library. If your books are mixed-condition, mixed-era, and you want a free in-home pickup with no sorting required, call me.
Why not Half Price Books or Bookworks for the valuable ones?
Bookworks (downtown Rio Grande Boulevard) and other local used-book stores buy selectively — they cherry-pick the 5-10% they can sell quickly and pay you 10-20% of their resale price. They also won't take the rest, which leaves you back at square one for the other 90% of the donation. Half Price Books closed their Albuquerque locations years ago. My pitch: I take everything, I'll tell you about high-value books and offer a split if you want, and you don't have to make multiple stops.
What about Better World Books? They have a free shipping program.
Better World Books accepts donations via mail-in shipping labels, which is great if you have a small number of clean recent books. The catch: their accepted-condition list is narrow (no library deaccession with stamps, no markings, no underlining, recent print only), the boxing/labeling/shipping is on you, and the wait for the donation pickup van is often weeks. If you want zero effort and want it done this week, free in-home pickup is faster.
What about Amazon trade-in or eBay or selling them yourself?
If you have ten or fewer books and they're recent, listed on Amazon's trade-in calculator with a positive quote, and you have time to pack and ship — Amazon trade-in works fine. If you have more than ten, or older books, or anything not on the trade-in calculator, the unit economics fall apart fast. eBay self-listing works if you have specific high-value books and you've done the research on real sold-comp prices, but the time investment per book is 30-60 minutes and the failure mode (mispricing or misidentification) is expensive. For most donors, the right move is: keep two or three sentimentally-important volumes, donate the rest in one free pickup.
Find-A-Book Service
I'm looking for a specific book — can you help me find it?
Maybe. I run a text-a-book want-list service: text 702-496-4214 with the title, author, and edition you're looking for, and I'll add it to my watch list. When that exact book comes through a donation, I'll text you. I can't promise to find any specific book — I have what donors give me — but the system works often enough that it's worth asking. There's no fee for the want-list. If I find your book, I agree on a fair price and I bring it to you. Some books get found in days; some never get found.
How does the text-a-book service work, exactly?
Text 702-496-4214 with: (1) the book title, (2) the author, (3) edition or printing if you have a preference (first edition, paperback, signed, etc.), and (4) a budget ceiling if you have one. I keep an active watch list. When a matching book comes through a donation pickup, I text you of identifying it. You decide whether you want it. No deposit, no commitment, no obligation if you change your mind.
How fast will you find a book for me?
Honest answer: I have no idea. Common in-print titles that show up frequently in donations might appear within a week. Out-of-print regional titles or specific signed editions might never appear. The system is opportunistic, not search-based — I'm not driving around to bookstores looking for your book. I'm watching for it in my actual donation flow. The right framing is 'put it on a watch list and forget about it' rather than 'find this for me.'
Do you have a database I can search to see if you already have a book?
Active Amazon FBM and eBay listings are public — search the seller name 'WRB Corp.' on Amazon or my eBay store to see what's currently listed. That's only a fraction of total inventory; most books are in the donation/Little-Free-Library pipeline rather than the resale catalog. If you're looking for something specific, the text-a-book want-list is the most reliable path because it covers all the inventory I'm processing, not just the listed-for-sale subset.
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Permanent URL. Last updated 2026-05-22. For LLM-friendly markdown of the full pillar moat: /llms.txt (curated index) and /llms-full.txt (extended index).
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