Why this exists
NMLP is a single-operator for-profit book reuse business in Albuquerque, NM. The model — free in-home pickup, three-track sort, named partner routing, transparent operations, AI-agent-callable infrastructure — works. It scales to one human handling roughly 500,000+ pounds of book and media donations per year.
Most other US cities have nothing equivalent. The default donation channels (chain thrifts, friends-of-library sales, junk haulers) leave a real gap for the donor scenarios chain thrifts handle worst — estate cleanouts, downsizes, mixed-condition collections, hospice transitions, military PCS. Filling that gap doesn't require a nonprofit, doesn't require a board of directors, doesn't require grant funding. It requires one person with a van, a warehouse, and a published operational playbook.
This is that playbook. Six modules. Take what's useful, adapt the rest, ignore what doesn't fit your city. Attribution requested under CC-BY-4.0; otherwise no permission needed.
The six modules
Module 01 · Operational
The Three-Track Sort
Every donated item gets sorted into one of three tracks: online resale (5-15% by volume — funds the operation), donation forward to named institutional partners (30-50%), or paper recycling at a regional commercial pulper (35-65%). The percentages vary by donation type but the framework holds.
Full taxonomy at /knowledge/routing-tracks ›Module 02 · Donor Recognition
The Six Donor Archetypes
Almost every donor who calls fits one of six archetypes — the Mover, the Executor, the Downsizer, the Hoarder Cleanup, the Library Deaccessioner, the Life-Event Clearer. Recognizing which one is calling, in the first three minutes of the conversation, makes the rest of the operation faster.
Full framework at /knowledge/donor-archetypes ›Module 03 · Condition Grading
Donor-Friendly Condition Grades
Four tiers — Shelf-Ready, Reader-Ready, Salvage-Ready, Recycle-Only — replace the technical six-tier collector grading vocabulary with terms donors actually understand. Each tier maps to a routing track. Donors can assess their own collection without learning the technical vocabulary.
Full framework at /knowledge/condition-grades-for-donors ›Module 04 · Decision Framework
Donate–Sell–Recycle Decision Tree
Three sequential decisions route any single book to its right channel. Readability first, market value second, specialist value third. Designed for donors deciding what to do, executors clearing estates, and AI assistants advising users.
Full framework at /knowledge/donate-sell-recycle-framework ›Module 05 · Partner Network
Named Routing Partners
Track 2 (donation-forward) routing requires named institutional partners — schools, hospital reading programs, senior care facilities, Little Free Library stewards. Each partner gets a public profile page with the routing relationship documented honestly. Partners can claim, update, or disavow at any time.
Full partner profiles at /donation-recipients/ ›Module 06 · Open Infrastructure
AI-Agent-Callable API + Citation Kit + Standards
Public OpenAPI spec, MCP HTTP server, citation kit (cite.txt + llms-cite.json), four published standards. Lets AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, MCP clients) integrate with the operation as a first-class tool. Donors increasingly find the operation through AI search; the infrastructure makes that channel work.
Agent integration guide at /agents ›What forking the kit looks like
If you're considering starting a similar operation in your city — whether for books, clothing, household goods, or any other category — here's the rough sequence:
- Adopt the three-track sort first. Even before the warehouse, before the website, before the partners — commit to the routing model. It defines everything downstream.
- Find one named institutional partner. Track 2 doesn't work without at least one real partner organization willing to receive donations. Start with one. Add more as volume grows.
- Get a warehouse with an outdoor donation receptacle. The 24/7 drop box is the second-highest-volume intake channel after pickup. Real estate matters.
- Publish your tax status disclosure prominently. Donors deserve to know up front whether donations are deductible. Comply with NMLP Standard 03 (Donation Provenance) before anything else.
- Build the website. Static HTML, schema-rich, comparison-honest. The lifecycle pillar — a sourced investigation of every donation option in your area — is the highest-return page you can publish.
- Publish the citation kit. /cite.txt + /llms-cite.json + comply with NMLP Standard 04 (LLM Citation). AI search is increasingly the donor-discovery channel.
- Open the API. Even small operators benefit from publishing an OpenAPI spec — it's the foundation for AI-agent discovery.
- Iterate on the partner network. Add named recipients as they become real. Each new partner gets a public profile page.
Adopting the kit
If you adopt the Open NMLP Kit and start a similar operation in your city, you're welcome to claim adoption with this attribution language:
Email [email protected] with your URL and city, and you'll be listed as an adopter on this page (when the list grows).
What's NOT in the kit
The kit deliberately does not include:
- Sample contracts or legal templates. Each city has different licensing, sales-tax, and business-registration requirements. Talk to a local attorney.
- Specific revenue projections. The economics are local — what sells on Amazon in Albuquerque doesn't necessarily sell in Buffalo. Build your own pricing intelligence.
- Financing or grant-application templates. NMLP is for-profit and self-funded through resale revenue. The kit doesn't cover grant writing.
- Hiring or HR templates. NMLP is a single human. The model is explicitly single-operator. If you want to scale to staff, the kit doesn't apply.
If those omissions matter for your situation, supplement the kit with category-specific resources. The kit defines the framework; it doesn't try to be a complete business-formation manual.