books · Saskatchewan

Where to donate books, records and media in Saskatoon

5 organizations in and around Saskatoon 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 hazardous materialDiabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan ReStore - Saskatoon, Value Village
  • 2 of 5 will not take mattresses and box springsHabitat for Humanity Saskatchewan ReStore - Saskatoon, Value Village
  • 2 of 5 will not take large appliancesDiabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, Value Village
  • 2 of 5 will not take car seats and cribsDiabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, Value Village
  • 2 of 5 will not take anything damaged or stainedHabitat for Humanity Saskatchewan ReStore - Saskatoon, Value Village

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 →

5 places in Saskatoon that take books

Diabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesClothing, shoes, boots, accessories and bags, Curtains, bedding, bath items and sleeping bags, Books, Cookware, bakeware, cutlery, barware and tableware, Small appliances such as blenders, irons and hand mixers, Decorative accents, Cameras, cell phones, laptops and tablets, DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes, Toys, games and gaming consoles, Sporting goods
Won't takeAll furniture, Large appliances, Televisions and computer monitors, Exercise equipment, Beds and bedding parts, Infant products, Construction materials, Automobile parts, Flammable products, Hazardous materials, Marine vessels
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.
WhereSaskatoon presence confirmed by searching their own bin finder at https://declutterfordiabetes.ca/donation-bin, which returned five Saskatoon donation bins within about 2 km of the city centre, including sites on Duchess St, Campus Dr, Osler St and Cumberland Ave S. Bin locations change, so link the finder rather than any one bin. Separately, the Value Village donation door at 302 Cope Lane benefits Diabetes Canada, per the Savers locator.
Visit their site →1-800-505-5525

EGADZ Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre

Not stated - ask them
TakesYouth- and teen-appropriate clothing such as jeans, t-shirts and hoodies, Winter jackets, ski-pants, gloves, mitts and headbands, Baby and toddler clothing, strollers, new car seats, Baby formula and bottles, unused and unopened, Quilts, duvets, sheets, pillows, towels and sleeping bags, School supplies - pens, pencils, erasers, pencil cases, looseleaf, calculators, geometry sets, rulers, Toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, disposable razors, Beads and beading supplies, Youth- and child-appropriate DVD movies, Fresh, canned and frozen fruit and vegetables; fresh bread and buns; dried goods such as pasta and rice, Chickens, turkeys and ground beef, labelled and dated
CollectionNot stated on the donation page. Call before bringing anything bulky.
Where485 - 1st Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1X5
Visit their site →306-931-6644

Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan ReStore - Saskatoon

Will collect, free
TakesFurniture and decor, household and outdoor, Most major appliances in working order (Saskatoon store specifically), Tools, hardware and light fixtures, Plumbing fixtures and accessories, including new toilets and new shower doors, Electrical fixtures and accessories, Shelving and bathroom vanities, Flooring - new tile, hardwood, vinyl and laminate; carpet with a 50 sq ft minimum, Siding and insulation, Lumber, minimum 4 feet, with no nails or screws, Doors and frames, Windows up to 6 ft x 6 ft, PVC frames only, Mouldings (no nails), plywood, MDF and drywall, Brick, block and decorative stone
Won't takeGas appliances (Saskatoon store specifically), Stone countertops (Saskatoon store specifically), Air conditioning units, furnaces, humidifiers, water heaters, Used toilets and jet tubs, Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, Firearms, ammunition and explosives, Used drapes, blinds and carpet, Clothing, Damaged or stained furniture, Mattresses and hide-a-beds, Tires and automotive parts, Fuel containers and propane tanks, Chemicals and hazardous waste, Medical equipment, Halogen lights, Loose or unframed glass and mirrors, Wooden window frames
CollectionFree pick-up covering Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, booked through the online form at https://habitatsaskatchewan.ca/restores/donate/pickup/. Items must already be gathered curbside, or in a garage, entranceway or common area, before the truck arrives. Photos are required to complete the request. Slots run Tuesday to Saturday with morning and afternoon options, and the form warns bookings are usually at least one week out, up to two weeks in peak summer. The request is not confirmed until the local ReStore reviews it. No phone number is given for pickup - the online form is the only route stated.
Where122 Avenue D S, Saskatoon SK, S7M 1P7
Visit their site →306-343-7763

Recycle My Electronics - Saskatchewan (EPRA)

Drop off only
TakesTelevisions and monitors - CRT, all-in-one, flat panel LCD, LED and plasma, Desktop and portable computers and tablets, Keyboards, mice and trackballs, Desktop printers, multi-function devices, scanners and photocopiers, External hard drives, optical drives and network storage, Home audio and video - VCRs, DVD and CD players, receivers, amplifiers, speakers, Personal and portable audio and video systems, E-readers, GPS devices, Video game consoles and controllers, Countertop microwave ovens
Won't takeBuilt-in and over-the-range microwave ovens, and microwave/range hood combinations
CollectionDrop-off program only. Find an approved depot through https://recyclemyelectronics.ca/sk/where-can-i-recycle.
WhereThis is the provincial stewardship program, not a charity, so treat it as the authoritative answer to 'can I recycle this specific device' rather than as a donation destination. The site publishes a full accepted-items list but names only built-in microwaves as an exclusion, so check the depot finder for anything unusual. No phone number is published on the Saskatchewan pages.
A regulated recycling program, not a charity. Electronics are dismantled and recycled, not reused.
Visit their site →

Value Village

Drop off only
TakesClothing and shoes, Backpacks and purses, Bed and bath, Books and media, Electronics, Exercise and sporting goods, Games and toys, Housewares, Small appliances, Small furniture
Won't takeLarge appliances, Automobile parts, Construction materials, Damaged furniture, Flammable and hazardous materials, Food, Infant products, Mattresses, Swimming pools, TVs and computer monitors, Weapons, Money
CollectionDrop-off only. The donation page describes bagging or boxing goods and bringing them to a Community Donation Centre during opening hours, and offers no collection service. It states plainly that leaving donations when the centre is closed is illegal, and that attendants may politely decline items.
WhereTwo Saskatoon stores, both confirmed on the company's own locator at https://stores.savers.com: 2115 Faithfull Ave, Saskatoon SK S7K 1T8, (306) 668-6161, where donations benefit Saskatchewan Community Living; and 302 Cope Lane, Saskatoon SK S7T 0G3, (306) 955-8702, where donations benefit Diabetes Canada. Both were shown as store and donation centre.
A for-profit retailer, not a charity. It pays a nonprofit partner for donated goods — the partner differs by store, so ask at the door if that matters to you.
Visit their site →(306) 668-6161

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 Saskatoon →

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