UNM campus & Albuquerque college community

UNM textbook donations — what to do with old textbooks near campus

Name: New Mexico Literacy Project
Address: 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM, 87107, US
Telephone: 702-496-4214

Every May and December, thousands of textbooks leave UNM dorm rooms, apartments, Greek houses, and faculty offices. Most end up in dumpsters along University Blvd or stacked next to Goodwill donation bins that are already overflowing. The New Mexico Literacy Project — a one-person operation run by Josh Eldred — offers free pickup and 24/7 drop-off about fifteen minutes north of campus. Nursing textbooks, engineering manuals, pre-med references, law casebooks, business texts, course readers — all of it. Any condition, any quantity, no sorting required. The books re-enter circulation through resale channels, APS Title I schools, the UNM Children’s Hospital reading program, and Little Free Libraries across the metro. This page covers every angle: which UNM textbooks hold value, which departments produce the most donation volume, how the dorm and Greek life cleanout pickups work, what faculty and graduating seniors should know, and why the 24/7 drop box might be the easiest option you didn’t know about.

Call 702-496-4214 Text to schedule pickup

Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

The end-of-semester textbook problem at UNM

UNM enrolls tens of thousands of students across its main campus, the Health Sciences Center, the School of Law, and the branch campuses. Two major semester endings per year, plus a smaller summer session cycle. Each transition generates a wave of unwanted textbooks — from students moving out of dorms, graduating seniors clearing apartments, international students who can’t ship books overseas, faculty rotating office collections, and Greek houses doing end-of-year cleanouts.

The campus bookstore buyback absorbs some of this volume, but only for a narrow slice of titles they’re confident will be assigned again next semester. Amazon trade-in handles another slice, but the acceptance algorithm is opaque and rejects more books than it takes. The rest — which is most of the volume — lands in dumpsters behind Hokona Hall, gets piled next to the Goodwill bins on Central, or sits in a closet until the next move.

That’s the gap NMLP fills. The New Mexico Literacy Project runs from a warehouse at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, operated by Josh Eldred — about fifteen minutes north of UNM’s main campus via I-25 or straight up Edith Blvd. Free pickup from anywhere in the metro, or a 24/7 outdoor drop box that’s accessible day and night, 365 days a year. No minimum quantity, no condition requirements, no appointment needed for the drop box.

If you’re looking to sell your UNM textbooks for cash, I have a separate page that walks through which channel pays the most for which kind of book. This page is focused on the donation angle — what happens when you want the books gone efficiently, want them to go somewhere useful, and don’t need to optimize for every dollar of resale value.

Fifteen minutes from campus — closer than you think

The NMLP warehouse sits at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, in the North Valley near Edith and Montano. If you’re coming from the Duck Pond or Zimmerman Library, it’s a straight shot north — either up I-25 to the Montano exit or along Edith Blvd through the neighborhoods. About fifteen minutes with normal traffic.

From the SUB or Johnson Center, same route. From UNM Hospital or the Domenici Center on the Health Sciences campus, it’s about the same distance heading north. From Popejoy Hall or the Fine Arts area, add a couple of minutes for the westward jog to the freeway.

The 24/7 drop box is in the parking area outside the warehouse. No gate, no lock, no buzzer. You drive up, place your books in or beside the box, and leave. It takes about as long as driving to the UNM Bookstore and finding parking — except the drop box is never closed, never has a line, and never rejects anything based on condition or edition.

If you’d rather not drive at all, free pickup is the other option. I run UNM-area routes regularly during the academic year and increase frequency during finals weeks. Text 702-496-4214 with your address and a photo of the books, and I’ll fold you into the next route. For more about the 24/7 drop box and how it works, there’s a dedicated page.

End of semester approaching? Don’t let your textbooks end up in the dorm dumpster.

Call 702-496-4214 Text photos for pickup

UNM textbook value by department — what’s worth what

Not all textbooks are created equal on the used market. Here’s an honest breakdown by UNM college and department, so you know what you’re donating and why some of it matters more than you might think. I don’t quote dollar amounts — market prices shift with editions and semesters — but I can tell you which categories consistently hold value and which don’t.

College of Nursing

Nursing textbooks are consistently among the highest-value donations I receive. NCLEX prep materials — both the comprehensive review books and the practice-question banks — hold strong resale demand year-round because nursing students nationwide need them, not just UNM students. Pharmacology texts, pathophysiology, fundamentals of nursing, medical-surgical nursing, and maternal-newborn guides all have active used markets.

Current editions command the highest tier. But even prior editions sell consistently because the core clinical content doesn’t change as fast as the edition numbering suggests. A two-edition-old pharmacology text still teaches the same drug classes; students on tight budgets know this and seek them out.

If you’re a nursing student graduating from UNM’s BSN or accelerated program, your textbook stack is almost certainly worth more than you realize. For detailed information about medical and nursing textbook donations, there’s a dedicated page.

School of Engineering

Engineering textbooks from UNM’s ECE, ME, CE, ChemE, and Nuclear Engineering programs hold value well. The core sequence texts — circuits, thermodynamics, statics, dynamics, materials science, fluid mechanics — have steady national demand. Computer science texts from the CS department overlap here: algorithms, operating systems, compilers, and theory of computation books are reliably high-tier.

Upper-division and graduate-level engineering texts tend to hold value longer than intro texts because editions cycle more slowly and the content is more specialized. A graduate-level controls textbook from five years ago is still perfectly usable; a freshman physics text from five years ago has been replaced three times.

Math textbooks from the engineering sequence — calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, numerical methods — also fall in the high-value tier, especially the Stewart, Thomas, and Strang editions that are standard across multiple departments.

Pre-Med & Health Sciences

UNM’s Health Sciences Center produces a steady stream of high-value textbook donations. Anatomy (Netter, Moore, Grant’s), physiology, microbiology, pathology (Robbins is the perennial standard), pharmacology (Goodman & Gilman, Katzung), and histology texts all have strong used-market demand. These books are expensive new, which drives used-market prices up proportionally.

MCAT prep materials are a related category. Current-edition MCAT review sets and practice exams hold value; older editions depreciate faster than the clinical science texts because the exam format changes. But even one-year-old MCAT prep sets still find buyers.

If you’re finishing a pre-med track, completing an MD, or rotating through UNM Hospital, your accumulated reference library is worth donating rather than recycling.

Anderson School of Management

Business and accounting textbooks from Anderson occupy the middle tier. Principles of accounting, financial management, marketing, and organizational behavior texts have moderate used-market demand. The value drops off faster with edition changes than it does for STEM texts because business content updates more frequently — tax law changes, accounting standards evolve, case studies become dated.

That said, MBA-level textbooks in finance, strategy, and operations management hold value somewhat better than undergraduate business texts. CPA prep materials behave like NCLEX prep — current editions have strong demand, older editions still find buyers at lower price points.

For the books the bookstore buyback declines — which is most business textbooks older than one edition — donation through NMLP is the practical path. I route the resellable ones to market and the rest into circulation or recycling.

School of Law

UNM Law produces casebooks, hornbooks, supplement series, and bar prep materials in volume. Current-edition casebooks for core courses — contracts, torts, civil procedure, constitutional law, property, criminal law — hold moderate resale value. Hornbooks and treatises from established series (Prosser on Torts, Corbin on Contracts) hold value for longer because practitioners and academics use them as reference works, not just course materials.

Bar prep materials — Barbri, Themis, Kaplan — are a special category. Current-year sets have significant value because bar prep is expensive and students seek used alternatives. Sets that are one or two years old still sell, though at lower price points. Older than that, the value drops sharply as outlines and practice questions evolve with the bar exam.

For a deeper look at law textbook donations, including how to handle law review back issues and faculty publication offprints, there’s a dedicated page.

College of Education

Education textbooks and teacher resource materials from UNM’s College of Education occupy a distinctive niche. Methods textbooks, classroom management guides, special education resources, ESL/bilingual education materials, and curriculum design texts have moderate used-market value — less than STEM, but more than general humanities.

The interesting wrinkle: teacher resource materials (activity books, lesson plan compilations, assessment tools, bilingual classroom aids) often have more practical demand through my distribution channels to APS Title I schools than they do on the open resale market. When these come through as donations, they frequently end up in the hands of working teachers who need them, which is about the most direct route to impact a book can take in Albuquerque.

If you’re completing your student teaching or finishing an education degree at UNM, the methods books and practicum materials are worth donating rather than storing in a closet you’ll never open again.

College of Arts & Sciences — STEM Courses

The STEM half of Arts & Sciences produces the same high-value textbooks as the engineering school: physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and computer science texts all hold value. Intro-level texts for the large-enrollment courses (Physics 160/161, Chemistry 121/122, Biology 201/202) have broad demand because these courses are required across multiple degree programs.

Upper-division and graduate texts in specialized fields — quantum mechanics, organic synthesis, molecular biology, abstract algebra, topology — hold value for years because editions cycle slowly and the audience, while smaller, is persistent. These are the kinds of books that collect dust on a shelf for a decade and then surprise you with their resale value when you finally donate them.

College of Arts & Sciences — Humanities

Here’s the honest part: most humanities textbooks and course readers from UNM have minimal resale value. Anthologies, edited collections, custom UNM course packets, and mass-market novels assigned for English or philosophy courses typically sell for very little on the open market, if they sell at all. The Norton Anthologies, Bedford Readers, and Penguin Classics that fill humanities bookshelves are available used in enormous quantities nationwide, which keeps prices low.

The exception: signed or inscribed copies of literary works, first editions, and limited-press-run books from small presses (including UNM Press titles). These can be worth significantly more. If you have a personal library that includes inscribed copies from UNM faculty readings or visiting authors, those are worth flagging when you schedule your pickup.

Even the low-value humanities books have a next life. Readable copies go to Little Free Libraries and other distribution channels. Course readers and custom packets get recycled. Either way, they stay out of the landfill, which is the baseline commitment.

Not sure which tier your textbooks fall into? Text a photo — I’ll tell you honestly.

Call 702-496-4214 Text photos for evaluation

End-of-semester timing — May, December, and summer session

The two biggest donation surges happen in May and December, aligned with UNM’s spring and fall semester endings. Move-out weekends are the peak — that’s when residence halls empty, lease cycles turn over in the University-area apartments, and graduating seniors clear out for good. I see more textbook volume in these two-week windows than in the other ten months combined.

During these periods, I increase pickup capacity for the UNM area. Routes that normally run weekly shift to every-other-day or daily. If you text 702-496-4214 during finals week with a pickup request, turnaround is usually same-day or next-day for addresses within a few miles of campus.

Summer session produces a smaller but steady wave of donations in late July and early August. Students finishing summer courses and departing before fall semester often have a handful of textbooks to unload. The 24/7 drop box is the most convenient option for these smaller quantities — no scheduling, no coordination, just drive up and drop off.

January and August — the start of new semesters — are actually low-donation periods. Students are buying, not unloading. That said, I accept donations year-round. If you’re doing a mid-semester bookshelf purge or found a box of textbooks in your closet from two years ago, the drop box doesn’t care about the academic calendar.

For a broader guide to end-of-semester textbook options in Albuquerque — including sell, donate, recycle, and trade-in channels — there’s a seasonal guide that covers the full picture.

Dorm cleanouts, Greek life, and residence hall partnerships

UNM’s residence halls generate significant textbook volume at the end of every semester. Hokona Hall, Coronado Hall, Laguna-DeVargas, Lobo Village, and Casas del Rio each produce dozens of boxes of abandoned books during move-out weekends. Some of this gets caught by the residence life staff and directed to donation bins. Much of it doesn’t.

If you’re an RA or a residence life coordinator, I can work with your hall to set up an end-of-semester donation collection point. The logistics are simple: designate a spot in a common area or near the lobby, let residents know about it during the last week of classes, and text me when the collection is done. I’ll come pick up everything in one trip. Several halls have done this, and it consistently diverts multiple boxes of books from the dumpster each semester.

Greek houses along the UNM area operate the same way. Chapter houses accumulate textbooks in common areas, study rooms, and individual rooms over the course of a year. End-of-year house cleanouts are an opportunity to clear all of it at once. Some chapters have incorporated the textbook donation pickup into their community service programming — organizing the collection, coordinating the pickup, and counting it toward service hours. It’s a low-effort, high-impact activity that gets real books to real readers.

For individual students in any of these residence halls: you don’t need to coordinate with anyone. Text 702-496-4214 with your room or lobby location and a photo of the books. I’ll come to you. During move-out weekends, I’m often already in the UNM area multiple times a day.

RA or Greek life officer? Set up an end-of-semester collection for your hall or chapter.

Call 702-496-4214 Text to coordinate

Faculty office cleanouts and emeriti libraries

UNM faculty retirements and emeritus transitions generate some of the most interesting and valuable book collections I handle. A professor who’s been in the same office for twenty or thirty years accumulates a library that’s part academic reference, part personal collection, part review copies, and part departmental overflow. When it’s time to clear the office, the university usually provides boxes and a deadline, but not much guidance on what to do with the contents.

I handle the entire library. Academic press hardcovers, journal runs, reference works, conference proceedings, faculty publication offprints, personally inscribed copies from colleagues — all of it. The inscribed and signed items are often the highest-value pieces in a faculty collection, and they’re the ones most likely to get thrown away because no one thinks to check. I evaluate signed and inscribed copies individually, route the resellable material to appropriate markets, and pass the rest along to readers.

For department-level cleanouts involving multiple offices — which happens during building renovations, department moves, and periodic space reallocation — I can coordinate with your department administrator to handle the logistics. One contact person, one pickup window, multiple offices cleared.

If you’re a UNM faculty member approaching retirement, on sabbatical and downsizing, or just clearing shelf space that’s accumulated over the years, text 702-496-4214. I’ll give you an honest assessment of what’s in the collection. For broader guidance on donating books in Albuquerque, the complete guide covers all the scenarios.

International students — end-of-semester book solutions

UNM’s international student population faces a specific end-of-semester problem that domestic students don’t: you can’t economically ship a semester’s worth of textbooks to another country. Shipping costs often exceed the resale value of the books. Checking extra bags on international flights is expensive and logistically painful. So the books either get left behind in the apartment, given to whoever happens to be around, or thrown away.

This is one of the most common pickups I do in May and December. International students clearing apartments in the University area, Nob Hill, Ridgecrest, or further out in the Heights often have a whole semester’s worth of textbooks plus accumulated course readers, novels from English courses, and reference materials. I take all of it — no sorting required, no condition thresholds.

The key constraint for international students is usually time. If you’re leaving the country in 48 hours and need the books gone, text 702-496-4214 with photos, your address, and your departure date. During finals weeks, I’m running UNM-area pickups frequently enough that same-day or next-day turnaround is usually possible. I understand the urgency — you have a flight to catch and a lease to close.

If you’re an international student advisor or work with the Global Education Office, NMLP is happy to be a resource you can point students toward at end of semester. The service is free, and it solves a problem that comes up every term.

Leaving the country after finals? I’ll pick up everything before your flight.

Call 702-496-4214 Text with your timeline

Graduating seniors — clearing out for good

Graduation is the inflection point where four (or more) years of accumulated textbooks need to go somewhere. Graduating seniors are moving to new cities, starting jobs, downsizing into smaller apartments, or moving back home. The shelf full of textbooks from sophomore organic chemistry, junior-year biomechanics, and senior capstone courses rarely makes the cut for the moving truck.

For the few textbooks that might have meaningful resale value — current-edition STEM texts, recent nursing or engineering books — it’s worth trying the UNM Bookstore buyback or Amazon trade-in first. For everything else, which is most of the stack, donating through NMLP is the efficient path. One text message, one pickup, done.

If you’re a parent helping your graduate clear out an apartment near UNM, the same pickup service applies. I regularly handle parent-coordinated cleanouts where the graduate has already left town and a parent or family member is handling the final apartment sweep. text me photos and the address — the graduate does not need to be present.

The Lobo Rainforest building, the off-campus apartments along Central and Silver, the houses in the University neighborhood south of campus, the complexes up Girard and along Carlisle — I’ve picked up from all of these areas and will continue to. Graduating in May or December is stressful enough without worrying about what to do with thirty textbooks.

Off-campus housing, Nob Hill, and the University area

A majority of UNM students live off campus. The University neighborhood immediately south and east of campus — bounded roughly by Central, Girard, Lead, and Yale — is the densest concentration of student housing. Nob Hill along Central east of Girard is the next ring out. Student apartments and shared houses extend into Ridgecrest, the Silver Hill area, and north along University Blvd.

The Lobo Rainforest building at Central and Broadway bridges the on-campus/off-campus divide — it’s a student innovation hub with residential units, and residents there generate textbook donations just like traditional dorm residents do. Lobo Village and Casas del Rio sit at the edge of campus and function more like apartment complexes than traditional dorms, but the end-of-lease textbook problem is the same.

For off-campus residents, the 24/7 drop box is often the most convenient option. It’s a straight shot up I-25 from the University area — faster than trying to find parking on campus to visit the bookstore. But if you have more than you want to carry, or if you’re doing a full apartment cleanout and books are just one part of it, free pickup is the better path. I take everything — textbooks, novels, media, games — in one trip.

For the general guide to donating textbooks in Albuquerque, covering all neighborhoods and drop-off options, there’s a dedicated page.

Off-campus apartment cleanout? One text gets the whole stack handled.

Call 702-496-4214 Text photos & address

Study group collections and tutoring center surpluses

Study groups, student organizations, and academic support centers accumulate textbooks over time. A pre-med study group might share a set of anatomy atlases and pharmacology references across members, building up a small communal library over several semesters. Tutoring centers — both the campus-run ones at places like the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS) and informal student-run groups — collect reference materials and practice-problem books that eventually become outdated or surplus.

When a study group dissolves at graduation, or when a tutoring center is refreshing its materials, the accumulated books need somewhere to go. Splitting them among members is one option, but often no one wants to claim a three-year-old organic chemistry text when they’ve already passed the course. Donating the whole collection is cleaner.

If you’re a student org leader, CAPS tutor, or academic support coordinator with surplus materials, text 702-496-4214. I’ll pick up from campus locations, study lounges, or wherever the books are staged. For student organizations looking to build a donation drive into their end-of-year programming, I can provide logistics support — collection bins, pickup scheduling, and the satisfaction of knowing the books go to use rather than recycling.

UNM Bookstore buyback — an honest comparison

The UNM Bookstore operates a buyback program during finals week each semester. I want to be straightforward about when it’s the right choice and when it isn’t, because the answer depends on what books you have.

When the bookstore buyback is the right move: You have a currently-required STEM textbook — calculus, intro chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, anatomy, biology — that the bookstore is confident will be assigned again next semester. For these high-demand, currently-adopted titles, the bookstore pays a meaningful fraction of the new price because they can resell it directly to the next semester’s students. This is their sweet spot, and they’re legitimately competitive here.

When the bookstore buyback is not the right move: You have electives, humanities readings, supplementary materials, older editions, course readers, or any textbook where the bookstore isn’t sure it’ll be assigned again. For these, their offer is typically near zero or an outright decline. You wait in line during the busiest week of the semester only to be told most of your stack isn’t worth anything to them.

The practical approach: if you have one or two high-demand STEM textbooks, bring those to the bookstore buyback. For everything else, text me for free pickup or use the 24/7 drop box. You can do both on the same day — sell the two valuable ones at the bookstore, then drop the rest at my box on the way home. No need to choose a single channel for your entire collection.

For a detailed walkthrough of all four selling and donating channels, including Amazon trade-in and direct student-to-student sales, see the selling UNM textbooks page. For a broader comparison of college textbook buyback programs in Albuquerque, that page covers UNM, CNM, and the third-party services.

Bookstore only wanted two of your fifteen textbooks? I’ll take the other thirteen.

Call 702-496-4214 Text for pickup

The 24/7 drop box — the easiest option you didn’t know about

The outdoor drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No gate, no lock, no appointment, no interaction required. Drive up, place your books in or beside the box, and leave. The whole process takes about two minutes, plus the fifteen-minute drive from campus.

This is the option I recommend for small to medium donations — a backpack’s worth up to a couple of boxes. It’s particularly convenient for students who are driving north anyway (heading to Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, or Santa Fe) or for anyone who wants to deal with the textbooks on their own schedule rather than coordinating a pickup window.

During finals weeks and move-out weekends, the drop box sees heavy use. I collect from it multiple times a day during these periods to keep it cleared. Even if you drive up and the box looks full, place your books beside it — they’ll be collected within hours.

The drop box accepts everything: textbooks, novels, nonfiction, children’s books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, board games, puzzles. No sorting required — just drop it all. For the complete rundown, including directions and photos, see the 24/7 book drop page.

Where your donated textbooks actually go

Every donation gets sorted by hand at the warehouse. The routing depends on the book:

Resale channels (Amazon, eBay, specialty platforms): Textbooks with current market value go here. This is how the free pickup operation is funded — the revenue from reselling valuable books covers the gas, the warehouse, and the time. Current-edition nursing, engineering, pre-med, and CS textbooks are the most consistent contributors to this channel.

APS Title I schools: Children’s books, age-appropriate nonfiction, and teacher resource materials route to Title I schools in the Albuquerque Public School district. These schools serve the students with the fewest resources and the least access to books at home. When College of Education textbooks come through that are still usable as classroom resources, they often end up here too.

UNM Children’s Hospital reading program: Children’s books and young-adult titles go to the pediatric ward at UNMH. Kids in the hospital need something to read, and donated books keep that library refreshed.

Little Free Libraries: Readable books that don’t have resale value but are in good condition go to Little Free Libraries throughout the Albuquerque metro. These neighborhood book-exchange boxes depend on a steady supply of donations to stay stocked.

La Vida Llena and other community partners: My partnership with La Vida Llena retirement community and other local organizations provides another distribution channel for readable books that match specific community needs.

Paper recycler: Books that are genuinely beyond use — water-damaged, moldy, structurally destroyed — go to a regional pulp recycler. This is the last resort, not the default. Most donated books find a reader before they reach this stage.

Your textbooks deserve better than the dorm dumpster. Let’s get them to readers.

Call 702-496-4214 Text to schedule pickup

How to evaluate what your textbook collection is worth

If you want a rough sense of where your textbooks fall before deciding between selling and donating, here’s the framework I use. No dollar amounts — market prices fluctuate with semesters and edition cycles — but the tier structure is consistent.

Top tier: Current-edition required textbooks for high-enrollment courses in nursing, engineering, pre-med, computer science, and mathematics. NCLEX prep, MCAT prep, and bar prep materials (current year). These consistently have the highest resale value and are worth trying to sell through the bookstore buyback or Amazon trade-in before donating.

Middle tier: One-edition-old STEM textbooks, current business and accounting texts, specialized upper-division and graduate-level texts in any field, recent law casebooks. These have moderate resale value. The bookstore buyback often declines them, but Amazon trade-in or direct resale may be worthwhile for individual high-value titles.

Lower tier: Humanities readers and anthologies, two-or-more-editions-old textbooks in any field, mass-market novels from literature courses, supplementary materials, custom UNM course packets. These have minimal individual resale value but still have use as donations — they reach readers through my distribution channels or get properly recycled.

For a more detailed self-assessment, try my library evaluation tool. Or just text photos to 702-496-4214 and I’ll give you an honest read on what’s in the stack.

Not just UNM — CNM, SIPI, and other Albuquerque campuses

While this page focuses on UNM, the same free pickup and 24/7 drop box service covers all Albuquerque-area campuses. Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) students at the Main Campus on University, the Westside, South Valley, and Montoya campuses all fall within my pickup area. The same applies to the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) campus on Coors Blvd.

CNM textbooks tend to be more introductory-level, which means less individual resale value than UNM upper-division texts — but CNM’s nursing program produces the same high-value NCLEX prep and clinical nursing materials that UNM’s does. Trades program textbooks (HVAC, welding, electrical, automotive) are a CNM-specific category with its own used-market demand.

For detailed guidance specific to CNM textbook donations, there’s a dedicated page. For the broadest overview of selling textbooks in Albuquerque regardless of campus, the general guide covers every channel.

Any campus, any textbook, any condition. Free pickup across the entire Albuquerque metro.

Call 702-496-4214 Text to schedule pickup

About the New Mexico Literacy Project

NMLP is a for-profit book donation and resale operation based in Albuquerque, run by one person, Josh Eldred. To be clear: I am not a nonprofit, and donations to me are not tax-deductible. The trade-off is that I accept everything in any condition, provide free pickup with no minimum, and my 24/7 drop box is always open. No restrictions on what I take, no business-hours-only access, no rejection.

The business model is straightforward. Books with resale value get sold through Amazon, eBay, and specialty platforms. That revenue funds the free pickup service, the warehouse, and the sorting operation. Books with distribution value (children’s books, teacher resources, reading-level-appropriate materials) go to APS Title I schools, UNM Children’s Hospital, Little Free Libraries, and community partners like La Vida Llena. Only genuinely destroyed books go to the recycler.

NMLP holds 5.0 stars across its Google reviews. La Vida Llena retirement community is a regular partner. The operation has been running since 2024 and has handled thousands of donations ranging from a single bag of paperbacks to multi-room estate libraries.

To learn more about how the operation works, read the About page. If you need a tax-deductible donation, the Albuquerque Public Library and Goodwill both provide receipts — though both have condition restrictions I don’t have.

Frequently asked questions about UNM textbook donations

What should I do with old textbooks from UNM?

You have several options. For current-edition required STEM textbooks, the UNM Bookstore buyback during finals week may pay competitively. For everything else — older editions, electives, humanities readers, supplementary materials — donating to NMLP is the fastest path. I offer free pickup from anywhere in the Albuquerque metro, including UNM dorms and off-campus housing, or you can use my 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, about 15 minutes from main campus. Your books re-enter circulation through resale channels, APS Title I schools, the UNM Children’s Hospital reading program, and Little Free Libraries.

Do you pick up textbooks from UNM dorms?

Yes. Free pickup from all UNM residence halls including Hokona, Coronado, Laguna-DeVargas, Lobo Village, and Casas del Rio. Also from the Lobo Rainforest building, off-campus apartments in the Nob Hill and University areas, and anywhere else in the metro. During finals weeks and move-out weekends in May and December, I increase pickup frequency specifically for UNM dorm cleanouts. Text 702-496-4214 with your address and a photo of the books.

Is this a tax-deductible donation?

No. NMLP is a for-profit business, not a nonprofit. Donations to me are not tax-deductible. The trade-off: I accept everything in any condition, offer free pickup with no minimum, and my 24/7 drop box is always open. No sorting, no appointment, no rejection. If you need a tax deduction, the Albuquerque Public Library system and Goodwill both accept books and can provide receipts — though both have condition restrictions I don’t.

Where is the drop box relative to UNM campus?

My 24/7 drop box is at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107 — near Edith and Montano in the North Valley. It’s about 15 minutes from UNM main campus heading north on I-25 or up Edith Blvd. No gate, no lock, no appointment. Drive up and drop off any time, day or night, 365 days a year.

Are nursing textbooks worth donating or should I try to sell them?

Nursing textbooks are among the most valuable textbooks on the used market. Current-edition NCLEX prep materials, pharmacology texts, pathophysiology, and clinical nursing guides hold significant resale value. If you have current editions in good condition, you may want to try the UNM Bookstore buyback or Amazon trade-in first. For older editions, prior-edition NCLEX materials, or large collections you need cleared quickly, donating to NMLP is the efficient path — I evaluate everything and route the valuable titles through resale channels that fund my free pickup operation.

Can you pick up textbooks from Greek houses near UNM?

Yes. Greek houses along the UNM Greek Row area are a regular pickup route, especially during end-of-semester cleanouts. If your chapter is doing a house cleanout and has accumulated textbooks in common areas, study rooms, or individual rooms, text 702-496-4214. I can coordinate a single pickup for the whole house. Several Greek organizations have done this as an end-of-year community service activity.

What happens to the textbooks I donate?

Every donation gets sorted by hand. Textbooks with current resale value go on Amazon or eBay — that revenue funds the free pickup operation. Children’s books and age-appropriate materials route to APS Title I schools, UNM Children’s Hospital reading program, and Little Free Libraries across the metro. Readable books without resale value go out through other distribution channels. Only books that are genuinely beyond use — water-damaged, moldy, or structurally destroyed — go to a regional pulp recycler. Nothing usable gets thrown away.

I’m an international student leaving the country — can you pick up my entire book collection?

Yes, and this is one of the most common pickups I do in May and December. International students leaving for the summer or graduating can’t economically ship a semester’s worth of textbooks overseas. Text 702-496-4214 with photos of your books, your address, and your departure timeline. I’ll coordinate a pickup before you leave. No minimum, no condition requirements — I take everything from STEM textbooks to novels to course readers.

Do you handle faculty office cleanouts at UNM?

Yes. Faculty retirements, emeritus office cleanouts, department reorganizations, and sabbatical downsizes are a regular part of what I do. Faculty libraries often contain decades of accumulated academic press hardcovers, journal runs, reference works, and sometimes personally inscribed copies from colleagues — which can be the highest-value items in the collection. I handle the entire library and sort the value. For department-level cleanouts involving multiple offices, I can coordinate with your department administrator.

How does NMLP compare to the UNM Bookstore buyback?

Different tools for different books. The UNM Bookstore buyback pays competitively for currently-required textbooks they’re confident will be assigned next semester — primarily core STEM courses. For everything else (electives, older editions, humanities, supplementary materials, course readers), their offers are typically near zero. NMLP doesn’t pay for books — I’m a donation operation with free pickup. The advantage: I take everything in any condition, come to you, and operate year-round including the 24/7 drop box. For a detailed comparison, see my sell-focused UNM page.

What condition do textbooks need to be in for donation?

Any condition. Highlighted, dog-eared, spine-cracked, water-stained, missing the cover, written in, sticky-noted to death — all accepted. The UNM Bookstore and Amazon trade-in both have condition thresholds that reject heavily used books. I don’t. If Zimmerman Library would cringe at the condition, I’ll still take it. Readable books go to readers. Damaged-beyond-reading books go to my paper recycler. Either way, they stay out of the landfill.

When is the best time to donate UNM textbooks?

The two big surges are May (spring semester end and graduation) and December (fall semester end). Summer session produces a smaller wave in late July and early August. Move-out weekends are the peak. I increase pickup capacity during these periods. That said, I accept donations year-round. The 24/7 drop box is always available, and pickups can be scheduled any time by texting 702-496-4214.

Do you accept law school textbooks and bar prep materials?

Yes. UNM School of Law casebooks, hornbooks, supplement series, and bar prep materials (Barbri, Themis, Kaplan) are all accepted. Current-edition casebooks and recent bar prep materials have meaningful resale value. Older editions and used bar prep sets still find readers through my distribution channels. For a deeper look at law textbook donations, see my law textbook donations page.

Can I donate just a few textbooks or do you need a large collection?

No minimum. I’ll pick up a single textbook or a whole apartment’s worth. For one or two books, the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE is the fastest option — drive up, drop off, done. For larger collections, text 702-496-4214 for free pickup anywhere in the metro. During finals weeks, I’m already running UNM-area routes daily, so even small pickups are easy to fold in.

Do you accept items other than textbooks?

Yes. Along with textbooks, I accept novels, nonfiction, cookbooks, children’s books, magazines, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records, board games, and puzzles. If you’re doing a full dorm cleanout or apartment move-out, bring everything — no need to separate textbooks from other books or media. It all goes in the same drop box or the same pickup trip.

How do I schedule a free textbook pickup near UNM?

Text 702-496-4214 with photos of your books and your address. That’s it. I’ll confirm a pickup window, usually within a day or two. During finals weeks and move-out weekends, turnaround is often same-day or next-day for the UNM area. You can also call the same number. No forms, no online scheduling portal, no minimum quantity.

What about study group collections and tutoring center book surpluses?

Study groups that have accumulated shared textbooks, and tutoring centers or academic support offices with surplus materials, are welcome to donate. If you’re a student org leader, RA, or tutoring coordinator with a stack of books that have outlived their usefulness to your group, text 702-496-4214. I can pick up from campus buildings, study lounges, or wherever the books are.

Is the 24/7 drop box secure?

The drop box is at my warehouse at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A. It’s an outdoor box accessible from the parking area — no gate, no code, no appointment needed. Drive up and place your books in or beside the box. The location is in a commercial area near Edith and Montano. Books are collected and brought inside regularly. Thousands of books have come through the drop box with no issues.

Related guides

Selling UNM Textbooks in Albuquerque — the sell-focused companion to this page, covering buyback, Amazon trade-in, and direct sales
Donate Textbooks in Albuquerque — general textbook donation guide for all campuses and neighborhoods
Sell Textbooks in Albuquerque — general selling guide covering every channel and campus
CNM Textbook Donations — CNM-specific guide for community college textbooks
College Textbook Buyback in Albuquerque — comparison of all buyback programs
Medical & Nursing Textbook Donations — deep dive on health sciences textbook value
Law Textbook Donations — UNM Law and bar prep materials
End-of-Semester Textbook Guide — seasonal timing and decision framework
Donate Homeschool Curriculum in New Mexico — faith-based, secular, classical, and Charlotte Mason curriculum donations
Teacher Textbook Donations in New Mexico — guidance for teachers, schools, and districts donating classroom materials
24/7 Book Drop — location, directions, and what to expect
Free Book Pickup in Albuquerque — how the pickup service works
Complete Guide to Donating Books in Albuquerque — the broadest overview
What’s My Library Worth? — self-assessment tool for any book collection

Ready to clear the shelf?

Text 702-496-4214 with photos of your textbooks. Free pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro, or use the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. No minimum, no sorting, no condition requirements.

Call 702-496-4214 Text photos Schedule pickup