books · Alberta

Where to donate books, records and media in Calgary

6 organizations in and around Calgary that take donated books — what each one accepts, what it turns away, and which will come and collect it.

Verified 2026-09-24 from each organization's own website. We are not affiliated with anyone listed here, nobody pays to be included, and we receive nothing if you donate to them.

How to tell what you have got

Before you call anyone, two minutes with the object settles most of it. None of this needs an expert — it needs a flashlight and a look at the back.

  • LPs in almost any genre except classical, opera and overstocked easy listeningLook up the exact pressing's completed sales on Discogs, not its asking prices. Audiopile says it reads the median price rather than the highest, also looks at the "Wants" count to judge sellability, and warns that online prices do not necessarily reflect the local market. Pressing origin matters — it pays more for Japanese, UK and other imports — so read the catalogue and matrix numbers on the label and in the run-out groove, not just the artist.
  • Records you were about to throw out because they look roughPut the visibly damaged records in a separate box and take them along anyway rather than sorting them into the bin.
  • Antiquarian books, modern firsts, fine bindings and local historyLook for a dust jacket present and intact, a date on the title page matching the copyright page with no later printing line, and an author signature. With none of those it is probably an ordinary secondhand book — but anything pre-1900, finely bound, or local history should be seen by a dealer before you decide.
  • Books published in the last five years, and classics in new editionsCheck the copyright page. If the newest date is more than five years old and the book is nonfiction, Halifax is not the stop for it — and its cap is 20 items per household in any case.
  • Children's and teen books printed since 2000, in gift conditionIt specifically wants board and baby books, preschool titles, popular series, graphic novels, non-fiction on nature, animals and space, and books with diverse characters. Its refusal list is short and exact: textbooks, encyclopedias, workbooks, library books, self-published books and damaged books.
  • CDs with no scratches, with their original linersA disc in a wallet or binder that still has its liner meets Halifax's rule. Discs stripped of their artwork are the hard ones to place.
  • Cassettes, where they are collectible rather than commonAudiopile's distinction is between common commercial tapes and collectible ones; a tape recorded or dubbed at home is neither. Sealed or small-run commercial releases are the ones worth asking about.

What this list turns away

Counted from what each place says on its own site, not from what is generally true. Most refusals are about condition and completeness rather than category.

  • 4 of 6 will not take large appliancesDiabetes Canada Declutter Program, Goodwill Industries of Alberta, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, WINS (Women In Need Society)
  • 4 of 6 will not take hazardous materialDiabetes Canada Declutter Program, Goodwill Industries of Alberta, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, WINS (Women In Need Society)
  • 4 of 6 will not take anything damaged or stainedGoodwill Industries of Alberta, Little Red Reading House, Made by Momma, WINS (Women In Need Society)
  • 3 of 6 will not take car seats and cribsGoodwill Industries of Alberta, Made by Momma, The Salvation Army Thrift Store
  • 2 of 6 will not take mattresses and box springsGoodwill Industries of Alberta, The Salvation Army Thrift Store

Rarely worth anything

Not a rule, and not a reason to bin something without asking. These are the things people most often expect to be worth money and find are not.

  • General mass-market paperbacks
  • Reader's Digest Condensed Books and other book-club condensed editions
  • Encyclopedia sets
  • Ex-library books and library discards
  • Outdated textbooks and computer manuals
  • Travel guides
  • Magazines, including long runs of National Geographic
  • Classical and opera LPs
  • Easy-listening and middle-of-the-road LPs
  • VHS tapes and ordinary audio cassettes
  • Used DVDs and Blu-rays, as a sale
  • Anything mouldy, musty, water-damaged, yellowed or heavily highlighted
  • Self-published books and workbooks
  • Hardcovers and spiral-bound books, as a prison donation
Prison book programs take softcovers only, and screen the content Canada — correctional institutions, via Books to Prisoners BC (Vancouver)

Books to Prisoners BC says that most prisons in Canada do not accept hardcover books, so it prefers that you do not donate them; it adds that hardcovers weigh more and cost more to ship. Spiral-bound books are also on its not-accepted list, along with damaged books, pornography, anything explaining how to immobilize a person, Canadian true crime about people currently incarcerated, and books critical of Canadian police and prison systems. Do not mail books to a prisoner directly on the assumption they will arrive.

Read the rule →
Hardcover books must be taken apart before the parts go in the carts City of Calgary, Alberta

Calgary instructs residents to remove cardboard hard covers and spines and recycle them as separate items from the pages, and to put coverless and loose pages into the recycling. Leather, canvas and plastic book covers go in the black cart as garbage. Old and unusable paper books may go in the blue cart or a community recycling depot.

Read the rule →
Discs and tapes that cannot be reused are garbage; only the paper parts are recyclable City of Calgary, Alberta

Calgary directs old and broken discs and tapes — vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and video tapes — to the black cart as garbage, while paper covers, music liners and record sleeves go in the blue cart. Its first advice is to pass usable media on to family and friends, sell it, or donate it to a local charity.

Read the rule →
Tapes, CDs, DVDs and records that cannot be reused go in the garbage; cases and inserts go in recycling Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon), Ontario

Peel Region states that video and audio tapes, CDs, DVDs and records that cannot be re-used may be placed in the garbage for disposal, and that empty cassette or video boxes, printed paper sleeves and inserts go in the recycling cart or a clear or blue transparent plastic bag. Reusable items in good condition may be donated at some Community Recycling Centre locations, where staff have the right to refuse items on inspection.

Read the rule →
Cassettes, CDs and DVDs are not accepted in the Blue Bin City of Toronto, Ontario

Toronto's Blue Bin page names cassettes, CDs and DVDs under other plastics that do not belong in the bin. Books are not listed on either the accepted or the not-accepted side — they appear only in a photo caption of paper items — and the page tells residents to check the Waste Wizard tool when they are unsure, which is the only authoritative answer for books in Toronto.

Read the rule →

6 places in Calgary that take books

Diabetes Canada Declutter Program

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesClothing, shoes and accessories, Bedding and textiles, Laptops, tablets and cell phones, Sporting goods, Books, Cookware and tableware, Small appliances
Won't takeAll furniture, Beds and bedding parts, Large appliances, Televisions and computer monitors, Hazardous materials
CollectionFree home collection, but only when they have a scheduled run in your area — enter your postal code on their site to check. Items must be in sealed bags or boxes under 40 lb and left on the doorstep; loose items are not collected.
WherePickup availability is checked by entering your address on their site. No Calgary-specific coverage or bin locations are stated on their own pages.
Visit their site →1-800-505-5525

Goodwill Industries of Alberta

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesNew and gently used clothing, laundered and clean, Footwear, Housewares, Linens, sheets and towels, Sporting equipment, Artwork and collectibles, Jewellery, Toys and games, Books, Bags
Won't takeFurniture over 50 lbs — furniture must go to the Impact Centres or a partner non-profit, not regular stores or donation centres, Upholstered furniture, hide-a-beds, waterbeds, bed frames with springs, Mattresses, Large appliances, Pianos, Halogen lamps, lava lamps, fluorescent and ceiling lights, Console and non-flat-screen TVs, Bicycles, Ski and snowboard equipment with bindings, Guns, replica and play guns, ammunition, fireworks, Aerosols, cleaners, chemicals, paint, Barbeques, gas-powered mowers and snowblowers, Building supplies and car parts, Baby gates, cribs and cradles, strollers, playpens, swings, walkers, bath seats, Toilets and sinks, Wet or soiled furniture, Carpeting and linoleum, Medical supplies and personal care items
CollectionCORRECTED — Goodwill does offer pickup, contrary to a common claim that it does not. Their site states: "Goodwill has partnered with College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling to offer donation pickup." They also note the hauler "will also pick up donation items that Goodwill cannot accept." Their site does NOT state whether this is free or paid, and does not confirm Calgary coverage — check availability and cost on their Donation Pickup page at goodwill.ab.ca/donation-pickup/ before assuming anything.
WhereTheir own donation-centre finder at goodwill.ab.ca/donate/ lists 16 Calgary locations, each with its own phone number and hours — use the finder rather than a fixed list, as hours vary by site. Furniture under 50 lbs is only taken at the Calgary Impact Centre.
Visit their site →1-866-927-1414

Little Red Reading House

Drop off only
TakesClean, lightly used children's books with minimal wear, Books with pages intact and free from writing or colouring, Books with secure covers and bindings
Won't takeBooks with torn or missing pages, Books with writing, highlighting or colouring, Water-damaged, mouldy or heavily stained books, Books with broken bindings or loose pages
CollectionDrop-off only. Their site asks: "Please give Dawn a quick heads-up before dropping off your books" — email dawnc@littleredreading.house first.
WhereShedpoint, 1212 34 Ave SE, Bay 120, Calgary
Visit their site →

Made by Momma

Not stated - ask them
TakesBaby diapers, all sizes — open packs okay, Baby wipes, new and unopened, Formula and baby food, New and unopened hygiene products, Children's clothing, Books and toys in good condition, Non-perishable food hamper items
Won't takePreviously loved stuffed animals and plush toys, Dirty or expired car seats, or car seats expiring within 12 months, Heavily worn or soiled clothing, books or toys
CollectionNo pickup service is mentioned anywhere on their donations page. It describes drop-off only and directs you to their separate Drop Off Days & Times page for current hours — check that before going, as no hours are posted on the donations page itself.
Where66 21 Street NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4T9
Visit their site →

The Salvation Army Thrift Store

Drop off only
TakesClothing and linens, Footwear, Accessories, Housewares and small appliances, Books and media, Toys, Computers and electronics, Antiques, collectibles and valuables
Won't takeFurniture, Beds, mattresses and box springs, Large appliances, Infant equipment, Construction materials, Paint, flammable and hazardous materials, Automobile parts and tires, Pianos
CollectionTheir donations page states plainly: "Please note: We are unable to offer donation pick-up services." Worth knowing before you load a sofa — they do not take furniture at all.
WhereA national chain. Their store locator at thriftstore.ca/locations is an interactive JavaScript tool, so individual Calgary stores could not be read from the site text and NO Calgary count or address is asserted here. Send readers to the locator to find their nearest Calgary drop-off.
Visit their site →1-855-984-8378

WINS (Women In Need Society)

TakesNew and clean gently-used clothing for women, men, children and youth, Household goods, Furniture, including mattresses, Electronics, Books in good condition
Won't takeFirearms, including replicas, Hazardous materials and chemicals, Large appliances, Baby products, Helmets, Large musical instruments, Stained bedding, Large sports equipment
CollectionNo in-house pickup. Their Collector Services page states: "WINS has partnered with select firms that offer professional collection services for a fee." Three firms are named there — The Junk Movement, BE&P Services and Moovez — which you book and pay directly.
WhereSeveral WINS thrift stores across Calgary — see their locations page. Their donation information page states: "Please note that large items such as furniture and housewares are only accepted at Dover, Glenbrook, Macleod, Manchester and the Donation Centre."
Visit their site →(403) 255-5102

Not sure what you have got?

Photograph it and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth — including when the honest answer is that it is worth nothing.

See what it's worth Sell it instead → Everything in Calgary →

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Books in other cities

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