Donating Used Medical Textbooks?

[Bitsy3221]

I am trying to get rid of my old textbooks in preparation for the upcoming move. I have sold what I can to the underclassmen, but I still have a fair number of them left over and would like to donate them if possible rather than just dumping them off at a thrift store (and who would buy them from there? That's just a little creepy....)

Anyone know of any good organizations that collect and distribute old medical textbooks (perhaps overseas)?

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[Winged Scapula]

If you are at a hospital or medical school, why not just donate them to either the medical library (which sometimes takes used books) or the medical student organization. I was let into the student lounge and left books there "Free to Good Home" and another time to the AMSA which was having a book sale.

 

[Fermata]

How about the charity of me?

 

[Samoa]

I just sent out a mass email to the classes below me, listing all the books I was giving away and telling them what time I would be putting them in the student lounge. About four or five people met me at the door to the building to "help." Most of the books never made it inside.

 

[MD Dreams]

bigwords.com

Although I am always a bit skeptical about any company that offers to send stuff oversea as donation. There was a news article the other day about computers that are sent overseas under the pretence of donation, but actually are not in working order and end up in third world garbage heaps (a cheap way of disposing of unwanted waste).

But your doing a good thing and I'm trying to figure out what to do with my books as well.

 

[Bitsy3221]

I just sent out a mass email to the classes below me, listing all the books I was giving away and telling them what time I would be putting them in the student lounge. About four or five people met me at the door to the building to "help." Most of the books never made it inside.

I tried to give them to the underclassmen while I was selling them before, and perhaps they are just more anal/more wealthy than the rest of the med students in the nation (no small feat!) but if they are not the most recent edition most of them don't want them. Ditto for the library, and we have no access to the student lounge anymore so I'm kinda stuck here with this lightly used, one edition old collection of textbooks. Argh!

Thanks for those who replied, though!

 

[surg]

I had the same problem when I left medical school. I ended up donating my books to the local community college that had a nursing program. They LOVED it as they are always short on books and didn't mind that they were an edition out of date as they were more recent than the editions they had in some cases. Also, local vocational programs that have medical assistant programs or surgical technician programs might be an option.

That community college wrote me a nice letter, valuing the books as well so I could take a tax deduction Of course, now I'm on their donor solicitation list forever!

 

[pacinonme]

I just heard my school is collecting books to give to schools in Africa.

Books For Africa (http://www.booksforafrica.org ) receives new and used book donations for primary through post-secondary levels from public and private schools, libraries, publishers and the general public. Books donated by publishers, schools, libraries, individuals and organizations are sorted and packed by volunteers who carefully choose books that are age and subject appropriate. We send good books, enough books for a whole class to use. Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped more than 15 million books.

This seems like a great organization that turns our trash into treasure.
Check the site to see how you can help.

 

[Museless]

Thank you for this thread and for the tip on BFA - I've been looking for a good use for my one-edition-old books too!