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For New Mexico book lovers thinking ahead

Plan your library’s legacy

Your library is a record of your reading life. It deserves better than a confused weekend cleanout six months after you’re gone. This page is for New Mexico book lovers who want to think about it now — while there’s no rush — so the books land well later.

Most of this comes down to a one-page letter and a thirty-minute family conversation. Less than people fear.

Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

Why book lovers should think about this specifically

Most household estate-planning resources cover the financial and legal pieces — the will, the trust, the beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, the deed to the house. They’re less helpful for book lovers because a serious personal library is a thousand-to-five-thousand items, almost none of which matter financially but most of which matter emotionally. The standard estate-planning documents weren’t built for that.

The result is that adult children, surviving spouses, and named executors regularly face the books last in the cleanup, with no instructions, no deadlines, and no idea which books mattered to the person who collected them. Most personal libraries end up in the dumpster within a few weeks of the death because the family ran out of energy. That’s the gap.

The fix is small. A one-page letter, written while you’re alive and well, that tells your heirs which books you’d like to stay in the family, which books should go to specific destinations, and where the bulk of the library should land. Update it every few years. Tell your family it exists and where it is. Done. Most of the rest of this page is the practical version of how to do that.

The four heirs scenarios

Most NM book lovers’ libraries fall into one of four scenarios. Yours is probably a mix. The point of identifying the scenarios is that each one wants a different paragraph in the letter.

1. Heirs want some of it

A child wants the cookbook collection. A grandchild wants the mystery shelf. A sibling wants the family photo albums. The most common scenario. The letter names which heir gets which section.

2. Heirs don’t want any of it

Common. Adult children have their own libraries, smaller homes, different reading interests. The letter names a donation destination so the heirs make one phone call instead of facing a sorting decision in grief. If you are an heir in this position right now, the New Mexico guide to inheriting a library walks through every routing decision step by step.

3. There are unique or valuable items

Signed first editions, scholarly papers, fine bindings, regional rarities. These need to be named specifically and routed separately — usually to an auction house or specialty archive, not a general donation channel. The letter names them.

4. Mixed library (most common)

A few items each heir wants. A few specialty items that need their own destination. A bulk of general-interest books that need a single donation answer. The letter has a paragraph for each.

A letter to my heirs about my library

Template. Copy, paste into a document, fill in your specifics, sign and date. Keep it with your will or estate-planning binder. Tell your family where it is.

[Date] To my family, I’ve been a reader my whole life and the books in this house are some of the things I most want to be handled thoughtfully when I’m gone. This letter is what I’d like to happen. It is not a binding legal document; my will controls the actual estate. But these are my wishes about my library, and I’m asking you to honor them as best you can. Books I’d like specific family members to have:[Heir 1] — [section or specific titles. e.g., “the cookbook collection on the kitchen shelf”] · [Heir 2] — [section or titles] · [Heir 3] — [section or titles] [Add lines as needed. Or write “none specific — if you want anything from the library, take it before the rest goes”] Books that should be handled separately:[Title and author of any signed first edition or specialty item, with where it should go — auction house, archive, or specific person] · [Family papers, photo albums, journals — who is the family steward] · [Any books with sentimental significance you want named specifically] The rest of the library: After family takes what they want and the items above are handled, the remaining books should go to [your chosen donation destination]. For most of my general library this is New Mexico Literacy Project (NMLP) at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A in Albuquerque. They do free pickup statewide and take everything — any condition, no sorting required. Phone or text 702-496-4214 to schedule. They are not a 501(c)(3) charity, so the donation is not tax-deductible, but I prefer that the books stay in circulation through their channels rather than be sorted by Goodwill or thrown in a dumpster. [Optional: I’ve already let NMLP know about my wishes; if you call them and mention my name, they’ll have a note on file.] I love you. Thank you for honoring this. [Your signature] [Your printed name] [Date]

Two pages would be too long. One page is the right length. Update every few years.

Where books should go in New Mexico, by category

Different categories of books have different best destinations. Match each section of your library to the right channel and write the channel into your letter.

General reading library

Fiction, biography, history, hobby books, magazines, paperbacks, and the bulk of any personal library. Single-trip free donation pickup with NMLP statewide. Any condition, no sorting required, route to APS Title I schools, UNM Children’s Hospital reading program, Little Free Libraries, and resale. NMLP isn’t a 501(c)(3); donations aren’t tax-deductible.

Signed first editions / specialty rarities

Items individually worth four figures or more. Auction-house path for maximum dollars: Heritage Auctions, Swann Galleries, PBA Galleries, ABAA member directory. For Southwest authors specifically, a few specialty dealers handle the regional market. Name these items individually in the letter. If you're not certain whether a book is a true first edition, the First Edition Identification Encyclopedia covers the copyright-page and number-line checks that distinguish a first printing from a later one.

Scholarly / academic / professional library

Faculty libraries, research material, scientific reference, professional textbooks. UNM’s Center for Southwest Research accepts targeted donations. Specific academic departments may want focused collections. UNM Press for press history. NMLP for general academic books that don’t fit a research archive.

Family papers, journals, photo albums

Emotionally significant, often financially worthless. Worst combination for a generic donation channel. Best path: identify a family steward in the letter, or contribute to the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, county historical society, or UNM Center for Southwest Research if scholarly value is present.

Children’s books

Books with personal inscriptions to children or grandchildren stay in the family. Generic children’s books in good shape go to APS Title I schools (NMLP routes there) or to Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library Children’s collection. The UNM Children’s Hospital reading program accepts age-appropriate titles.

Religious texts / prayer books

A category most donation channels handle awkwardly. Best path: gift to a specific congregation or religious community the deceased was part of. NMLP takes religious texts as part of a general donation pickup but routes them carefully — I don’t pulp them.

Foreign-language books

Spanish-language collections often have specific community uses (CNM bilingual programs, NM Hispanic Cultural Center, parish libraries). Other languages depend on local immigrant communities. NMLP can route or you can name a specific destination.

Magazines, journals, periodical runs

Most thrifts won’t take these. NMLP takes everything — National Geographic runs, art magazines, professional journals, sheet music, hobby publications. Some specialty journal runs (Bell Labs Technical Journal, IBM Journal of Research and Development) have research value and route to specialty channels.

An optional NMLP courtesy record

If you’ve decided NMLP is the right destination for your library when you’re gone, you can leave a courtesy record with me. It’s informal and creates no obligation.

Call or text 702-496-4214 with: your name, your neighborhood (no full address needed), and a rough description of the library (rough size, general categories). Josh keeps a notebook of these. Years from now, when your heirs are settling your estate, they can call NMLP, mention your name, and the handoff is already familiar. If the estate transition happens during or after hospice or end-of-life care, the hospice and end-of-life library transition guide addresses those circumstances with specific guidance for families in that moment. I won’t pressure you, won’t share your information, won’t add you to a mailing list. There isn’t one.

What this is, and isn’t. A note kept on file. Not a contract. Not a binding promise. You can change your mind any time without telling anyone. If you decide to leave the library to your children, or to an auction house, or to a specific archive, that’s your call — the courtesy record at NMLP just gets ignored. No drama either way.

Equally fine to skip the courtesy record entirely and just put NMLP’s contact info in your letter to heirs. Both paths work. The letter is the load-bearing document; the courtesy record is just convenience.

Tax disclosure: NMLP is a for-profit New Mexico business, not a 501(c)(3) charity. Donations to NMLP are not tax-deductible for the estate. If tax deductibility for the library is important, name a registered nonprofit (Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library, Goodwill, a religious institution) instead.

The actual steps, in order

  1. Walk through your shelves. Notice the four categories: general reading, specialty rarities, professional library, family papers. You don’t need a spreadsheet. A 30-minute walkthrough is enough.
  2. Ask each heir what they want. Five-to-twenty specific titles per heir is common. Write the lists down.
  3. Identify the genuinely valuable. If you suspect a few items are individually significant, get them appraised once now, while you can answer questions about provenance. Heritage Auctions, Bauman Rare Books, ABAA member dealers all do appraisals.
  4. Write the letter. Use the template above. One page. Sign and date.
  5. Tell your family the letter exists and where it is. Don’t make this a surprise.
  6. Optional — leave a courtesy record with NMLP. Text 702-496-4214. Five-minute conversation.
  7. Refresh every few years. Update when your will updates.

Frequently asked

Is a ‘letter to your heirs’ legally binding?
No. A letter explaining what you’d like done with your library is a “letter of wishes” or “precatory letter” — it expresses your preferences but is not legally binding the way a will is. That’s actually a feature, not a bug: your heirs aren’t obligated, but they almost always honor specific wishes when they’re written down clearly. For high-value items where binding instructions matter, mention them in the will itself with help from a probate attorney. For the bulk of a personal library — which is usually emotional, not financial — a letter is the right tool.
Should I bequeath my library in my will?
For specific high-value items (signed first editions worth four figures or more, scholarly papers, fine bindings), yes — name them specifically in the will or as a written list referenced in the will. For the bulk of a personal library, no — wills work better when they don’t try to itemize every household item. The standard practice is a will provision that says “my personal property and household contents pass to [executor or named heir] who shall distribute them in accordance with the letter of wishes I leave with this will.” That gives the executor authority and your letter the moral force.
What if my children don’t want any of my books?
Common, and not personal. Adult children often have their own libraries, smaller homes, and different reading interests than their parents. The conversation usually goes “I don’t want to inherit any books” — and that’s fine. The right response is to plan ahead so the library is handled thoughtfully without becoming a burden. Most NM book lovers in this situation name a donation channel (NMLP for general books, library Friends for current books, an auction house for any specialty items) in their letter and let their heirs make one phone call instead of facing a thousand-book sorting decision.
What’s the ‘courtesy record’ with NMLP?
An informal note. If you want NMLP to be the donation destination for your library when you’re gone, you can text or call 702-496-4214 with your name, your neighborhood, and a rough description of the library. Josh keeps a notebook of these. It’s not a contract, creates no obligation, and you can change your mind any time. The point is just so that years from now — when your heirs are settling your estate — they’re more likely to find a clean handoff. Equally fine to skip the courtesy record and just leave NMLP’s contact info in your letter to heirs. Either path works.
I have signed first editions and want them to go to the right collector.
Name them specifically in your letter and route them to a specialty channel rather than a general donation. The major options for NM-area collections are Heritage Auctions, Swann Galleries, PBA Galleries, and the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America) member directory. For Southwest authors specifically, a few specialty dealers handle the regional market. NMLP can route a signed first to the right specialist as part of a donation pickup if you’d like, but if maximum dollars on individual items matter most, the auction-house path is more direct. Mention specific titles and ideal destinations in the letter.
What about my children’s books and family papers?
Family papers (correspondence, journals, photographs, family histories, genealogy notes) deserve their own paragraph in the letter. Most are emotionally significant but financially worthless, which is the worst combination for a generic donation channel. Best practice: identify a specific family member who will be the steward, or contribute scholarly papers to UNM’s Center for Southwest Research, the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, or a county historical society. Children’s books with personal inscriptions to your children or grandchildren should usually stay in the family. NMLP can take children’s books that don’t have personal inscriptions and route them to APS Title I schools and the UNM Children’s Hospital reading program.
How often should I update my letter?
Every 3-5 years, or whenever you have a major life event (move, deaccessioning, new significant acquisition, change of mind about an heir’s interest). Anchor it to your will-update cadence — the same conversation with your attorney about the will is a natural moment to refresh the library letter. Most NM book lovers find that 15-30 minutes is enough for the periodic refresh.
Should I tell my heirs I’m doing this?
Yes, in advance. Surprises in the will are not the gift that book lovers think they are. A 30-minute conversation with the family — “here’s what I’d like to happen with my library, here’s where I’ve put my letter, here’s the contact information” — saves hours of confusion later and lets your heirs ask questions while you can still answer them. Do this once and you’re done.

About this guide

Written by Josh Eldred, owner-operator of New Mexico Literacy Project. I’ve worked with hundreds of NM families settling estates and seen how often a thirty-year reading life ends in a confused weekend cleanout because nobody knew what the deceased actually wanted done with the books. The fix is small — a one-page letter, a thirty-minute conversation — and almost nobody does it. This guide is the practical version.

This page is informational, not legal advice. Wills, trusts, and the legally-binding parts of estate planning need a NM probate attorney. The library piece is mostly emotional and practical, not legal.

If you decide NMLP is right for your library, the courtesy record is one phone call. If you decide a different destination, that’s fine too — the letter is the part that matters.

Related on this site

Want to leave a courtesy record?

Five-minute call or text. Just your name, neighborhood, and a rough library description. No obligation, no contract, no mailing list. I keep a note on file so years from now your heirs find a clean handoff.

Call 702-496-4214 Text courtesy record Or just use the letter template