books · Quebec

Where to donate books, records and media in Montréal

5 organizations in and around Montréal 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.

  • 3 of 5 will not take mattresses and box springsEntraide diabétique du Québec, Le Support (Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle), Renaissance
  • 3 of 5 will not take anything damaged or stainedEntraide diabétique du Québec, Fondation La Collecte, Renaissance
  • 2 of 5 will not take upholstered furnitureLe Support (Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle), Renaissance
  • 2 of 5 will not take large appliancesLe Support (Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle), Renaissance
  • 2 of 5 will not take hazardous materialFondation La Collecte, Renaissance

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.

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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.

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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 →

5 places in Montréal that take books

Entraide diabétique du Québec

Will collect, free
TakesClothing, clean and free of tears, Shoes, Handbags, Jewellery, Kitchenware, Small decorative items, lamps, mirrors and frames, Electronics in working order, Board games and toys, Suitcases, Bedding, Small to medium rugs
Won't takeAppliances, Furniture, Mattresses, Books, Computers, Televisions, Car seats, Weapons and explosive materials, Food, Tires, Carpeting, Damaged or stained clothing
CollectionFree home collection, in their own words: "Nous collectons vos vêtements et articles usagés tout à fait gratuitement" and "Nul besoin de vous déplacer! Nous venons à vous gratuitement." You register through the form on their site, they call you back to agree a date, and on the day you leave the bags at the agreed spot marked with a paper bearing the letter "D" for "Diabète." No time is given in advance — the driver sets it that day. The Mirabel office covers part of Montréal, Laval, the Rive-Nord, part of the Montérégie and the Laurentides: 450 530-7800 or 1 866 313-7800.
WhereThree regional offices covering southern Quebec (Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Mirabel). The Mirabel office is the one that serves the Montréal area.
Visit their site →450 530-7800

Fondation La Collecte

Not stated - ask them
TakesClean, reusable children's and adult clothing, Footwear, Handbags, Jewellery, Books, Bedding, Kitchenware, Sporting goods, Small household items
Won't takeBroken or soiled items, Tires and auto parts, Heavy appliances, Hazardous waste, Organic waste, Plumbing and electrical items
CollectionNo pickup service is advertised. Their site only says "We know it's not always possible to travel to a drop-off location. Contact us to see how we can help" — so whether they will come to you, and on what terms, is decided case by case. Phone (514) 845-7920 ext. 222 or email info@lacollecte.ca to ask.
WhereTheir site states more than 100 donation bins across the Greater Montréal area, with an interactive map on fondationlacollecte.ca to find the nearest. Proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Montreal.
Visit their site →(514) 845-7920

Le Chaînon

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesClothing, Shoes, Accessories (bags, jewellery, belts), Toys, Kitchen items, Small electronics, Bedding, Books, DVDs and vinyl records, Sports equipment, Furniture, by prior arrangement through their online form
Won't takeAnything not in very good condition — their stated rule is that goods given to the store must be in very good condition and have resale value
CollectionFurniture is handled separately: you fill in the furniture donation form on their site and, in their words, "a responsible person will communicate with you" to arrange the details. No terms or fee are published, so ask when they call. General donations go to the stores during opening hours; phone 514-843-4354 to arrange a large drop-off.
WhereTwo solidarity thrift stores on boulevard Saint-Laurent — Magasin Plateau (514-544-0888) and Magasin Villeray (514-843-4354) — with addresses and hours on their store page. Store revenue funds their services to women in difficulty. Their residence is a confidential location: donations go to the stores only.
Visit their site →514-843-4354

Le Support (Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle)

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesClothing and textiles in good condition, Dishware and kitchen items, Small electrical appliances, including microwave ovens, Alarm clocks, sound systems, cameras, lamps, fans, Computers, Sporting goods, CDs, DVDs, records, cassettes, Board games, puzzles, dolls and stuffed toys
Won't takeBeds and mattresses, Sofas and armchairs, Ovens (microwave ovens are accepted), Refrigerators and dishwashers, Washing machines and dryers, Books and magazines
CollectionThey do run a home pickup service — their site describes arranging a time and coming to your home to collect what you have to give, booked through an online application. No fee is stated on the pages that loaded, and the booking page itself did not load when checked, so confirm terms and any cost when you book. Call 514 725-9797, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., to check whether a specific item is accepted.
WhereTheir site states more than 200 donation bins in the Montréal area, findable with the bin locator on lesupport.ca. They also run two "Les Trouvailles du Support" thrift stores, in Verdun and in Longueuil.
Visit their site →514 725-9797

Renaissance

Not stated - ask them
TakesClothing, shoes, caps, hats, scarves and shawls, Handbags, glasses, new cosmetics, jewellery, belts, Games, toys, bath rings and seats in good condition, Kitchen articles, lamps, frames, curtains, fabric, bedding, Plants, gardening tools, tools, Medical equipment (canes, walkers, wheelchairs), Small appliances (toasters, kettles, irons), Televisions, DVD players, VCRs, cameras, air conditioners, Sporting gear, books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, bicycles, Used batteries
Won't takeLarge upholstered or non-upholstered furniture (armchairs, couches, chairs, shelves, beds, desks), Large appliances, Mattresses, Pianos and pool tables, Car seats, highchairs, playpens, strollers, Breast pumps, CPAP machines, syringes, medication, Fuels, cleaning products, paint, weapons, Damaged clothes, Tires and car batteries, Building materials, doors, toilets, Mirrors, fabric scraps, food, company-logoed merchandise, Photocopiers
CollectionCall before counting on it. Two Renaissance pages state plainly that there is no home collection: the donation page says "Please note that we do not offer home pick-ups" and the FAQ says "Renaissance ne peut pas offrir de service de collecte de dons à domicile." A third page (their donation-centres directory) points to a home-collection sign-up at collecteadomicile.renaissancequebec.ca, but that subdomain returned no readable content when checked, so the service could not be confirmed. Treat drop-off as the reliable option.
WhereA large network of donation centres and thrift stores across Quebec, listed by region on their own site with a map at https://renaissancequebec.ca/en/map. No total count is published on the pages read — use their map rather than a fixed list.
Visit their site →514-276-3626

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 Everything in Montréal →

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