books · Manitoba

Where to donate books, records and media in Winnipeg

5 organizations in and around Winnipeg 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 5 will not take large appliancesDiabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, MCC Thrift (Mennonite Central Committee), Oyate Tipi Cumini Yape, The Salvation Army Thrift Store
  • 4 of 5 will not take hazardous materialCanadian Goodwill Industries, Diabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, MCC Thrift (Mennonite Central Committee), The Salvation Army Thrift Store
  • 3 of 5 will not take car seats and cribsCanadian Goodwill Industries, Diabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes, The Salvation Army Thrift Store
  • 2 of 5 will not take anything damaged or stainedCanadian Goodwill Industries, MCC Thrift (Mennonite Central Committee)

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 Winnipeg that take books

Canadian Goodwill Industries

Will collect, free
TakesFurniture, Large freestanding appliances in working condition (fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, small to medium freezers), Small electrical appliances, Mattresses and box springs in clean condition, Clothing, shoes, linens, luggage, Dishware, glassware, kitchenware, Books and media, Computers and electronics, Working flat-screen TVs, Gaming items, toys, puzzles, Tools and yard equipment (gas removed), Bicycles, camping gear, sporting goods, Small exercise equipment, Mobility aids in clean working condition, Area rugs, lamps, pictures, seasonal items, patio furniture, BBQs, Unopened cosmetics, Jewellery and collectibles
Won't takeItems that are dirty, ripped, stained, broken, missing pieces, pet- or smoke-damaged, rusty, or a health/safety hazard, Items from homes with evidence of pests, or treated for pests in the last 3 months, Wet or mouldy items, Flammable materials, CRT computer monitors and console TVs, Large exercise machines, Printers, Unsafe infant and toddler products, Food items, Utility and public service uniforms
CollectionFree home pickup, booked by phone at (204) 943-6435, by email, or through their online request form, Monday to Friday 8am-4pm. Pickup runs on a city district schedule that sets which day your area is served, and you get a confirmation email with your date within 48 business hours. Service covers Winnipeg and select nearby Manitoba communities. All donations are inspected for rodent and insect activity - they will not collect from a home that has had pest activity or extermination in the last 3 months. Read their pickup terms and conditions before booking.
WhereA registered Manitoba non-profit charity, Canadian since 1931, with six thrift stores across Manitoba and all proceeds staying in Manitoba. Head office 70 Princess Street, Winnipeg. Use their Locations & Hours page for store addresses.
Visit their site →204-943-6435

Diabetes Canada - Declutter for Diabetes

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesClothing (all types), accessories and bags, Shoes and boots, Curtains, Bedding and bath items, Sleeping bags, Books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, Cameras, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, tablets, Toys, games and gaming consoles, Small household appliances (blenders, irons, hand mixers), Cookware, bakeware, cutlery and utensils, tableware, barware, Decorative accents, Sporting goods
Won't takeAll furniture, Beds and bedding parts, Large appliances, Televisions and computer monitors, Construction materials, Exercise equipment, Infant products, Automobile parts, Flammable products and 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.
WhereA national home pick-up service. Diabetes Canada is also the named non-profit partner at four Winnipeg Value Village donation centres (Nairn, Jefferson, Pembina and Ellice), so dropping off there supports them. Book a pickup at https://declutterfordiabetes.ca/pickup
Visit their site →1-800-505-5525

MCC Thrift (Mennonite Central Committee)

Not stated - ask them
TakesClothing, shoes and accessories, Bedding and bath, Books and magazines, Media - records, tapes, CDs, DVDs and videos, Toys and games, Housewares, Home decor, Sports equipment, Antiques and collectibles, Furniture - limited locations only
Won't takeDamaged items - dirty, broken, stained, smoky, smelling, or with excessive pet hair, Baby safety equipment, Helmets, Blinds, Microwaves, Sofa beds, Cosmetics, shampoos and toiletries, Personal grooming items, Building materials, Chemicals, Printers, Large exercise equipment, Matches, lighters and fire extinguishers, Large appliances, Stickered yard-sale items
CollectionNo pickup service is stated on their donation page. Three categories are decided shop by shop rather than centrally - e-waste (computers, TVs, phones), seasonal items, and mattresses - so call your nearest shop before loading the car. Furniture is taken at limited locations only.
WhereFour MCC Thrift shops in Winnipeg: Kildonan MCC Thrift Shop, Sargent MCC Thrift Shop, MCC Furniture Thrift Shop, and Selkirk Ave MCC Furniture & Thrift Shop, plus a dozen more across Manitoba. Addresses and phone numbers are not on the shop list itself - use the shop finder at https://mccthrift.com/locations
Visit their site →

Oyate Tipi Cumini Yape

TakesChairs, tables, end tables, Sofas and couches under 6 ft, Bookshelves, Floor and table lamps, Dressers, night tables, mirrors, Desks, Gently used mattresses and beds, Flat-screen TVs; tube TVs up to 26 inches, DVD players, Fans, Small kitchen appliances, kitchen tables, Cookware, bakeware, cutlery, tableware, Rugs up to 8x11 ft
Won't takeMajor appliances, Clothing, Books, King-size beds, Computer desks and filing cabinets, Glass tables, Tube TVs over 26 inches, Exercise equipment, Pianos, Food and alcohol-related items
CollectionThey will come and carry it out, but pickup is a paid service - they describe their rates as competitive, 100% of the fee goes to their charity operations, you pay no HST, and you receive a charitable tax receipt for the value of the furniture. Request a pickup through their site or call. For a sofa you cannot move yourself, this is usually the realistic Winnipeg option.
Where606 Selkirk Ave, Winnipeg, MB R2W 2N1
Visit their site →204-589-2218

The Salvation Army Thrift Store

Drop off only
TakesClothing and linens, Footwear, Accessories, Housewares and small appliances, Computers and electronics, Books and media, Toys, Antiques and collectibles, Valuables
Won't takeFurniture, Beds, mattresses and box springs, Large appliances, Construction materials, Infant equipment such as car seats, cribs and strollers, Automobile parts and tires, Paint, flammable and hazardous materials, Pianos
CollectionTheir own donation page states plainly: they are unable to offer donation pick-up services. Everything must be dropped off at a store or Donor Welcome Centre. This is the most common mistake people make with Salvation Army in Canada - and note they take no furniture, beds or large appliances at all.
WhereOver 120 locations across Canada. Their site does not publish a province list - enter your city or postal code in the store locator at https://thriftstore.ca/locations to find a store or Donor Welcome Centre near you.
Visit their site →1-855-984-8378

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 Winnipeg →

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Books in other cities

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