Knowledge Base: Library Help

Shipping Weeded Materials to Better World Books

Please ship your weeded materials to us via the weekly van run (as space allows), and we will process and forward them to Better World Books. Proceeds from this partnership support our eResources budget.

When packing your weeded materials for Better World Books, please:

1. Clearly label the boxes “For Better World Books.”

2. Use cardboard boxes (or any other boxes you don’t need returned).

Please avoid sending materials in blue bins. While it’s not a major issue if this is overlooked, it does require our staff to re-pack items so the bins can be retrieved for van run use.

To help us manage the program and make sure there’s space on the vans, please limit shipments to no more than four boxes per week.

What Materials Are Accepted?

The following outlines what Better World Books will and will not accept:

Accepted Materials

• Books and Monographs

• Rare Books

• Children’s Books

• College Textbooks (published within the last 10 years)

• Foreign Language Books (with ISBN) – Spanish, French, German, Russian

• Fiction and Nonfiction (hardcover and paperback)

Not Accepted Materials

• Annuals and Yearbooks

• Audio Cassettes, VHS Tapes, LP Records/Vinyl, Computer Software

• Book Club Editions (e.g., Reader’s Digest Condensed, Time-Life Books)

• Encyclopedias (e.g., Britannica, World Books)

• Procedural Law Books

• Custom Course Packets

• Directories, Telephone Books, Indexes

• Duplicate Copies (more than 20 copies per title)

• Unsellable Editions (free/review/examination/complimentary/not-for-sale copies, counterfeit, unbound, ARCs, uncorrected proofs, galleys)

• Journals and Periodicals (e.g., literary criticisms)

• Microfilm and Microfiche

• Newspapers and Magazines

• Non-Western Script Books

• Tax and Government Documents or Forms

• International Editions or Low Price Editions (LPE) – applies to US clients only

• Hybrid Editions

• Stand Alone Access Cards

• DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs

• Audiobooks and CDs

• Video Games

• Playaways

Full material guidelines, including condition requirements, are available here.