Where to Donate Books during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Books can sometimes feel like our most valuable of treasures; their ability to transport, inform, and instruct can feel magical. If you are the type of person who is currently reading a blog post on a library website, I don’t think I have to make too strong a case about the feelings that books inspire.

 

Because of those feelings, it is understandable that we feel guilty when we run out of space in our lives or our shelves for ALL the books we would ideally like to keep. Therefore, instead of tossing our old books in the dumpster or leaving them in a box on the curb, we attempt to share the joy that these books have provided to us (or a loved one).

 

Here at the Flowood library, we have received MANY calls recently asking whether we are accepting book donations at this time. Unfortunately, due to the current CMRLS policy during this pandemic, we are unable to accept donations right now. Although we surely will in the future again, it is impossible to know exactly when that will be.

 

In the meantime, I have researched some options if you need to downsize your book collection for the foreseeable future. Wherever you decide to take your donations, please DO make sure that any books you want to donate are in good condition. A couple years ago, I stored my Harry Potter hardbacks in a place where the Mississippi heat and humidity got to them, growing mold and bending the cover. It bummed me out, but I had to throw them away, because nobody wanted to read those books! Anyway, here are some of your options.

 

1. Goodwill - I called the Goodwill Center at the Crossgate Shopping Center in Pearl, and the associate I spoke to said they are accepting books. The address is 5708 Highway 80 East in Pearl, and the hours are 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. You might still want to consider calling ahead 601-664-3424.

 

2. Salvation Army Family Store - The Salvation Army Store is accepting books at this time. They request no textbooks nor encyclopedias be donated. The address is 110 Presto Lane, Jackson, MS, 39206. The donation hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Please call 601-982-4881 to schedule an appointment.

 

3. Big House Books - Big House Books is an organization that sends free books to Mississippians in prison and juvenile correction that request them. While they are not accepting general donations, they are currently looking for paperback copies of “dictionaries, urban fiction, CDL manuals, trade learning, GED manuals, James Patterson books, and John Grisham books.” E-mail bighousebooksms@gmail.com to donate if you have any books that fit this description.

 

4. Little Free Libraries - You may have probably seen a little free library before. They are book donation boxes in publicly accessible areas where you can leave and/or take books. There is a helpful (although incomplete map) in the Little Free Library Website link below, listing several in Brandon, one in Mize, and plenty in Jackson. Our friend and former librarian Lisa B. tipped me off that there is a Little Free Library in Winner’s Circle Park (across from the Flowood Library) next to the vending machines, and one on Lakeview Drive, not too far from Oakdale Elementary.

 

For more information, please visit these websites:

 

http://goodwillms.org/locations/

 

https://salvationarmyalm.org/jackson/family-store-salvation-army/

 

https://bighousebooksms.org/

 

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

 

Social Distancing

Social isolation or social distancing as it is called involves keeping at least six feet away from another human being and avoiding groups exceeding 10 in number. It sounds like my social life in college.

Solitary confinement or shelter-in-place is another term that is becoming common in the lexicon. It reminds me of the days when I had to stay at home and watch television because I did not have the money to go out on a date with a pretty girl who would let me pay for her meal, and then choose to keep her social distance from me.

If not for these past social experiences, I might not have adapted so quickly to these unusual times, the new normal.

I used to enjoy the single life of eating, sleeping, watching television, reading, and exercising. I appreciated the overall peace and quiet. Today I live in the country. My nearest neighbors are far, far away. That's a good place for them.

I remember Y2K, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and 2012. I began doing research on the more viable disaster theories. This pandemic gives me the opportunity to test my preparation plan which has been years in the making.

One final bit of terminology I would like to share today is the definition of the word, "Covidiot." It's a derivative of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) nomenclature. I always try to be more kind with my words, but there is a pandemic going on and these are serious times. A "covidiot" describes a person who does not acknowledge social distancing or shelter-in-place protocols. He or she may not even realize that there is even a problem at all. This person may also have a habit of hoarding the essentials that other people desperately need; toilet paper, for example. Such an attitude can be extremely dangerous.

Beware of "covidiots." They tend to carelessly walk within a few feet in front of you and they may or may not have a persistent cough.

Not everyone is on board with social distancing.

Be careful out there.