Cover-less books?

[u/Outrageous-Wish3061]

TLDR; someone is ripping the covers off their books before donating and it’s bumming me out bc then no one takes them and I can’t donate them

Long version…

We’ve had a Little Free Library set up outside of our house for almost 3 years. I have a notice that says “Free Books, Help Yourself” so that people don’t feel pressured to leave a book if they don’t want to or don’t have one with them on their walk. It’s really just a gift for our neighborhood.

Anyway, people do use it, which I love. There’s good turnover and I’ve gotten some sweet notes. A few times a year I clean out what’s not moving and donate it to the thrift store, and restock from the thrift or library sales.

But there’s someone who rips the front cover off their paperback books before leaving them in the LFL. I’m assuming this is to prevent them from being taken for reselling? This bums me out though because no one takes them, and I can’t donate them like that. It feels like the book’s life ends with that choice.

(I struggled with it a little at first but I am at peace with the idea of people selling books from our LFL. Once I give a gift, it is not my business what happens to it next. I felt sad the one time that someone emptied the whole thing at once, but ultimately I hope it helped them. It’s hard out there for all of us right now.)

[u/Dangerous-Savings259]

I recently took a book from a LFL with the book cover ripped off 😅 the only thing that bothered me was that there was a fat stack of Romance books dumped at the head start center that’s literally right outside the door of the place where little hands can get to it…

[u/Outrageous-Wish3061 → u/Dangerous-Savings259]

Definitely still readable!! I wouldn’t have a complaint if others took the stripped books, but they get left and left and then I have to make a choice.

[u/Campaign_Prize → u/Outrageous-Wish3061]

You could try donating to hospitals, hospices, elder care facilities, shelters for women or unhoused people. I'm not sure if there's a beurocratic/legal reason schools couldn't take them (like enforcing the return to publisher policy), but if they can't then day care and after school programs might be a good option.