500K+
Est. pounds since 2021
Sorted by hand and routed to readers, community literacy partners, and Little Free Libraries. No book goes to the landfill.
See where books go →
447,734
Items scanned since 2021
Every book, record, and disc scanned into custody and accounted for — a five-year, value-scrubbed data story.
Explore the Afterlife Atlas →
★★★★★
5.0 from 86 reviews
Verified Google reviews from Albuquerque-area donors, estate executors, La Vida Llena, and Little Free Library stewards.
Read all reviews →
24/7
Free drop-off & pickup
Covered, waterproof drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, open every hour of every day. Free metro-wide pickup for larger loads.
See the drop box →
Curious where each donated book actually ends up? Read the sourced lifecycle investigation.
Four services, one operator
Four Ways I Help Albuquerque Households
I offer free book donation pickup, 24/7 drop-off, estate library clearing, free electronics recycling pickup in Albuquerque for computers and small electronics, and free pickup for clean, wearable clothing, gear, and household items for Albuquerque households. From a single box of books at the curb to clearing the books, papers, and media from a whole estate — same operator, same phone, same warehouse on Edith and Montaño.
Free Book & E-Waste Pickup
Books, paper, magazines, vinyl, computers, and small electronics. Free across the metro. (TVs and monitors only if they work.)
Schedule a free pickup →Most asked-about
Estate Book, Paper & Media Clearing
I clear the books, papers, photographs, media, and valuables from an estate — often free when the resale value covers the work. Keepsakes and family papers saved first. Furniture, appliances, and junk handled case by case, not for free — I'm one careful operator, not a free junk-and-furniture crew.
See the service & request a date →Open now
24/7 Drop Box on Edith
A covered box outside the gate by the road at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. Books, media and cameras in any condition, plus clean, wearable clothes, any hour. Someone is there 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help unload.
Directions and photos →For Professional Referrers
For attorneys, funeral directors, realtors, senior move managers, hospice staff, estate sale companies. No referral fees, just a reliable handoff.
For pros →Already Trusted Locally
La Vida Llena Routes Resident Estates Through Me.
La Vida Llena is a continuing-care retirement community in Albuquerque's Northeast Heights with hundreds of residents. For years I've been part of the weekly rhythm there — working alongside the Recycling Services team, loading the NMLP van with donations, and being the operator the community trusts when residents pass away and their books, papers, and collections need careful handling. Proceeds from resident estates are split 50/50 with La Vida Llena's employee appreciation fund.
"Josh Eldred volunteers with me in Recycling Services at La Vida Llena. His efforts to help our seniors recycle are very much appreciated. He also brings dozens of boxes of children's books at the holidays so employees can choose free books for their children. He is our hero!"
Not a charity — and that’s the point
I’m a for-profit business, and that’s exactly why I can take any book in any condition, pick it up free, and keep it out of the landfill. Selling the valuable few funds the free pickup; the rest are passed on to readers where I can, or recycled.
See exactly how it works →Donate Books & Media in Albuquerque — Any Condition, No Sorting
I accept books and media in any condition in the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque: no sorting, no appointment. I want your books, and I want your media too — the three groups below, all in any condition. Cleaning out your shelves, moving, or downsizing? Drop them off anytime or call 505-250-3804 for free pickup.
Books
Hardcovers, paperbacks, children's books, textbooks, cookbooks, magazines — if it has pages, I want it. See how to donate old textbooks and where to donate old magazines.
Movies & Music
DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records, cassette tapes, VHS — with or without cases, scratched or perfect.
Games, Puzzles & Cameras
Video games, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and cameras of every era, film or digital, lenses and camcorders too, working or not. Bring them with the books or on their own.
Media: every format, any condition, drop-off or free pickup
The 24/7 Outdoor Drop Box
Outside the gate by the road, 5445 Edith Blvd NE
Free Pickup — I Come to You
Serving ABQ, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Placitas & the East Mountains
Free 24/7 Drop-Off
5445 Edith Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87107
My covered drop box sits outside the gate, near the road, and never closes — books, media, and clean clothing, any time, day or night.
Give Your Books a Second Life
Every year, millions of perfectly good books end up in landfills. I think they still have stories to tell. So I hand-sort every donation: an estimated 500,000 pounds since 2021 (how I count). Books with resale value get sold online, and that revenue funds the free children's-book distribution. Kids’ books go free to community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries across the metro. Damaged books get paper-recycled. No book ends up in a landfill.
Drop Off Anytime
The 24/7 outdoor drop box means you can donate on your schedule — early morning, late night, weekends, holidays. No appointment needed.
Any Condition Accepted
Water-damaged? Missing a cover? Dog-eared and highlighted? I take it. Don't waste time sorting — just bring everything.
Books Find New Readers
Your donations get hand-sorted one by one. Sellable books find new readers. Children's books are donated free to community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries. Only books that are truly unusable — water-damaged, moldy, or falling apart — get paper-recycled. No book goes to the landfill.
Every Donation, Hand-Sorted
When you drop off a box of books, it doesn't disappear into a back room. It comes through this warehouse in the North Valley, where every title gets looked at one by one — decided, sorted, and routed to where it will do the most good.
Donations Arrive
Everything from a single bag to an estate's worth of boxes. Drop-offs come in around the clock from the 24/7 box; pickups come in from across the metro. No sorting required on your end — bring it however it is.
Every Book Evaluated
I look at every title. Is there resale value? Is it a kids' book that should go straight to a Little Free Library? Is it too damaged for anyone to read? That decides where it goes next.
Readers First, Recycling Last
Resale-worthy titles are sold online, and that revenue funds the operation. Everything else that's still readable goes to readers through community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries. Only the small share that's water-damaged, moldy, or falling apart gets paper-recycled. No book hits a landfill.
By the Numbers
What Donors Are Saying
"Authentic, knowledgeable and very honest. He is not wanting to take advantage of you!! Truly a nice guy!"
Andy M.
Book Collection — Albuquerque
"Josh is a very nice guy who does a great job of cleaning out a property and removing unwanted items with no questions asked about condition. So happy to see that my mother's books will never see a landfill."
Leyla Mcfadden
Estate Cleanout — Albuquerque
"Josh has donated numerous children's books to our Little Free Library in the east mountains at Sunflower Meadow Park. Thanks to his generous donations I am able to continue to provide books to neighbor kids."
Peggy C.
Little Free Library — East Mountains
"Josh and Terry moved a garage-full of books, collected over 70 years, in less than an hour. I'm confident the books will find good homes. So happy to find this service locally."
Cherokee Randolph
Garage Library — Albuquerque
Browse My Online Store
Every book you donate gets hand-sorted. The ones in great shape end up in my eBay store, where readers across the country can find them. Your old paperback could be someone's next favorite book.
Revenue from sales funds my free pickup service, the 24/7 drop box, and my children's book donation program — free books for community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries across the metro. When you buy from me, you're keeping the whole thing running.
Shop Books on eBayBooks
Fiction, nonfiction, rare finds
DVDs & Blu-rays
Movies, TV, documentaries
CDs & Vinyl
Music, audiobooks, records
Collectibles
First editions, signed copies
Serving the Whole Albuquerque Metro
No matter where you live in the metro area, I'm just a short drive away. Find book donation info for your neighborhood.
Donate Books in Albuquerque — FAQ
The most common questions about donating books in Albuquerque to the New Mexico Literacy Project.
Where can I donate books in Albuquerque?
I run a free 24/7 book and media donation drop-off outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 — at Edith and Montano in the North Valley. I accept books, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, video games, cameras and lenses, board games, and puzzles in any condition, no sorting required, no appointment, no forms. Clean, wearable clothing goes in the same box. You can drop off any hour of any day. See how to donate media in Albuquerque.
Is there a free book donation drop-off in Albuquerque?
Yes. My covered, waterproof drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE in Albuquerque sits outside the gate, near the road. It is free, needs no key or code, and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no fee and no appointment. There is no tax receipt either, though a written acknowledgment is yours on request. Just pull up, drop your books, media, or clean clothing in the box, and go. See the drop-box page for photos and directions.
Can I donate used books in Albuquerque in any condition?
Yes. I accept used books in any condition — water-damaged, highlighted, missing covers, dog-eared, mildewed. I also welcome DVDs, CDs, vinyl, cassettes, VHS tapes, video games, board games, and puzzles in any condition — on their own, not just when they come along with books. The public library and most thrift stores set condition limits. I do not. Read more about donating damaged books in Albuquerque.
How do I schedule a free book pickup in Albuquerque?
Call or text 505-250-3804 with your address and a rough book count. For larger donations — estate cleanouts, office closures, classroom clear-outs, moves, downsizing — I offer free book pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro, including Rio Rancho, Corrales, and the South Valley, scheduled by route. A carload is quicker at the 24/7 drop box.
How do I get rid of a large amount of books?
Let me haul them. In the Albuquerque metro, text a photo and a rough box count to 505-250-3804 and I'll schedule a free pickup by route. I do the carrying and loading: any condition, no sorting, one shelf or a whole house. If it fits in your car, the 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE takes it any hour. From outside the metro, drop them on your next trip into town or mail them in at your own shipping cost. Readable books go back into circulation, damaged ones are paper-recycled, and no book goes to the landfill.
Can you clear out the books from an estate or a whole house?
Yes. After a death, a move to assisted living or a downsizing, I pick up the books, records, DVDs and other media from a whole house anywhere in the Albuquerque metro, scheduled by route, and I set aside anything the family may want to keep, like inscribed or signed copies. See estate book cleanout in Albuquerque, or read what to do with books after someone dies.
Can I recycle old books in Albuquerque?
Yes, and you don’t have to sort them. Put books in any condition in my 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE: readable ones go back into circulation, the rest are paper-recycled, and no book goes to the landfill. The City’s blue recycling cart takes books too. More on book recycling in Albuquerque.
Are book donations to the New Mexico Literacy Project tax-deductible?
No. The New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit business, not a nonprofit. Donations are not tax-deductible and I do not issue tax receipts. What I do offer is the easiest book donation in Albuquerque: free, 24/7, any condition, no sorting, and free pickup for larger loads. Every book I take gets hand-sorted and either resold to fund the operation or passed on free to community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries. A written acknowledgment (date and approximate quantity) is available on request.
Who runs the book donation service in Albuquerque?
I do — Josh Eldred. The New Mexico Literacy Project is my for-profit book donation operation in Albuquerque's North Valley: I hand-sort every donation, resell what I can on Amazon and eBay to fund free pickups, and give children's books free to community literacy partners and Little Free Libraries. Over 500,000 pounds of books processed since 2021.
Do you take clothes and other donations too?
Yes. Clean, wearable clothing and shoes can go in the 24/7 drop box along with books and all media, or ride along on a free metro pickup with outdoor gear and small electronics (no furniture). Household items can come on the same free donation pickup. One text covers it: 505-250-3804. Details are on the clothing donation page.
Where can I donate used books near me in New Mexico?
If you are in the Albuquerque metro, the easiest option is my 24/7 drop box on Edith Blvd. I also offer free pickup throughout Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, the South Valley, the East Mountains, Bernalillo, Placitas, Los Lunas, Belen, and Edgewood. Anywhere else in New Mexico, bring your books to the drop box on your next trip to Albuquerque, or mail them in at your own shipping cost.
Popular Guides on Donating Books in Albuquerque
Deeper reads for specific situations, item types, and common questions about where to donate books in Albuquerque.
Four Little Free Libraries, restocked in one Sunday loop
The outbound side of NMLP. Books that came in through donations went out into four neighborhood LFLs — Khaled Hosseini, Tim O'Brien, Stephen King, Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Seuss, vintage reference, kids' books. Every box left with a "Got books? Free pickup" bookmark for the next donor. Read the LFL loop story →
Two Little Free Library drops from a single Sunday loop
Rick Riordan series, National Geographic run, Nora Roberts, an estate professor's microeconomics text — all dropped in neighborhood boxes on one afternoon. My bookmarks visible in both. See the full case study →
5,000 pounds. Three hours. Socorro, NM.
75 miles south of Albuquerque on I-25 — over dirt and broken sidewalks, into a Socorro County estate. One man, one truck, no fee. A one-time run from May 2026 — pickup is Albuquerque-metro only now. Outside the metro, use the free 24/7 drop box or mail-in. Read the full pickup story →
Part of the growing Pickup Stories archive — operational records, never marketing.
“If it looks like trash to a chain thrift, bring it to me.”
A photographic field guide to the twelve categories of donation chain thrifts routinely reject — Cocinas-de-NM cookbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, VHS, vinyl, water-damaged stacks, yearbooks, sheet music, saddle-stitched ephemera. Free pickup, no condition limit, no judgment.
See the YES list →Where Your Donated Books Actually Go
Real destinations. A line-by-line map of every path a donated book can take — La Vida Llena holiday boxes, Sunflower Meadow’s Little Free Library, community literacy partners, my eBay shop, certified paper recycling. No dumpster. No book to the landfill. No fog.
See the Map →Three Albuquerque Donation Stories
The attorney’s referral from a Northeast Heights estate, the downsizer who moved into La Vida Llena and ended up living with her own donated books, and the widowed professor’s two-thousand-volume academic library. Anonymized. Real arcs.
Read the Stories →Where Should I Donate My Books in Albuquerque?
Five quick questions about size, condition and timing, and I’ll point you to the easiest way to donate them.
Take the Quiz →Every Albuquerque Book Donation Option — Compared
Side-by-side comparison of every NM book-disposal channel — NMLP, Goodwill, Savers, library Friends sales, Title Wave, Better World Books, Little Free Libraries, junk removal, recyclers. Pros, cons, who each one’s best for, and an honest decision tree by donor profile.
See Comparison →2026 Albuquerque Book Donation Report
A year of free in-home pickups, broken down by exit channel, donor type, and subject category — the data behind the transparency commitment: books that sell fund the free service, readable children’s books go to Little Free Libraries around town, and the rest are paper-recycled. No book goes to the landfill.
Read the 2026 report →By Life Event
New Mexico Literacy Project has been a fantastic partner for Assistance League of Albuquerque. We are a thrift store that sells donated books and a percentage of these we are unable to use. We are able to recycle these through Josh which saves us hours of sorting and disposing every week. And they do not go to a landfill. Josh is reliable and professional and the free pickup has been a huge help. It saves our volunteers from hauling boxes of books. He comes by, loads up, and we get our space back. No hassle and no minimum. I highly recommend Josh and the New Mexico Literacy Project.
Clearing Out Your Shelves?
Whether it's 5 books or 500 boxes, I'll take them. Large donations? Call me and I'll work out the details.
Or have me call you back
Don’t want to dial? Drop your name and a phone or email below and I’ll reach out personally. Free pickup, any condition, no sorting required.
Prefer to drop off? Open 24/7.
The covered box outside the gate, by the road, at 5445 Edith Blvd NE takes books, DVDs, CDs, records, video games and cameras, any hour. Too much for the box? Come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone is there to help unload.