Donating Old Books to the School Library

Many former students in Australia keep school books long after leaving, then wonder whether a worn textbook or story collection is valuable enough to share. Donating old books to the school library can preserve familiar stories and support current students, but a thoughtful handover begins with checking what the library actually needs. Titles, condition and relevance matter more than the size of the box you have gathered.

That check is especially useful for alumni in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where direct drop-offs are practical, while donors in regional New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland may need to courier or post volumes. Local conditions also shape the decision: a secondhand dealer or community op shop may already have plentiful copies of a popular title, making a different book more useful to the school.

Australia’s heat, humidity and intense sunlight can damage paper, and wet seasons, bushfires or storms may interrupt collection and transport. Keep books indoors in a dry, stable place until handover, and inspect them for mould, insect damage and water marks. Personal inscriptions and school memories deserve care, but any names, addresses or photographs inside covers should be removed before a book enters a shared collection.

A sound donation plan is simple: identify the recipient, confirm its rules, sort the collection, clean and repair only where appropriate, pack securely, and record the handover. This avoids spending money on freight for unwanted books and gives the library a clean, manageable batch. Former students should also check whether the alumni office or a school committee can coordinate collection days for multiple donors in the same area.

Start with the library’s needs

Before sorting, contact the librarian through an official school or alumni channel. Ask whether the school is accepting donations, which languages, subjects and age groups are wanted, and whether duplicates are useful. A recent catalogue, wish list or noticeboard is more informative than a general promise that every old book will be welcomed.

Also ask about limits on textbooks, workbooks, exam guides and damaged items. Some schools need circulating fiction while others prioritise practical references, multilingual materials or unread older copies. Current members can check official contacts and participation options through the alumni membership page. Keep a short note of the requirements so the donation can be adjusted before packing.

Sort books before they travel

Create four simple groups: donate, offer elsewhere, keep and responsibly recycle or dispose. Use the school’s answer as the main filter, then compare the condition with copies available through Australian op shops, council libraries and independent secondhand bookshops. If a title is already plentiful and heavily annotated, another title in the requested category may do more good.

Personalised material needs an extra look. Remove loose photographs, private letters, receipts containing addresses and obsolete name labels, while leaving meaningful dedications intact. Do not cut pages from a book or erase a former student’s inscription merely to make it look new. For a large collection, list titles by subject and quantity; a clear spreadsheet makes it easier for the library to identify duplicates quickly.

Clean and repair with care

Begin with a dry brush or soft cloth to remove dust, then use a barely damp cloth on dirty covers only. Never soak a volume, scrub printed pages or test stronger household cleaners on them. If there is a musty smell, visible spotting or warped pages, isolate the book in a dry container and seek specialist advice rather than folding or pressing it.

Minor repairs can protect a book: reinforce a loose spine with acid-free paper, place fragile covers in an archival sleeve and use padded cardboard around the spine. Avoid ordinary tape, glue and lamination, which can worsen paper and complicate later conservation. In humid weather, clean books in a room with good airflow and keep them away from direct afternoon sun, garage slabs and leaking roofs.

Pack for transport

Choose sturdy cartons rather than thin school bags, and fill empty space with clean paper so books cannot shift. Pack upright in the same general height, protect corners, and keep the heaviest items at the bottom. Label each box by subject or size, include your contact details inside as well as outside, and prepare a duplicate inventory in case a parcel is delayed.

For a regional handover, ask the school whether it prefers a tracked Australia Post parcel or a courier. Compare the weight, dimensions and insurance options at a Post Office, and do not mail until the recipient confirms its address and receiving days. Photograph packed boxes and keep the receipt and tracking number. If a collection is too large, organise several labelled cartons rather than one unsafe parcel.

Verify the recipient and request

Use contact details obtained directly from the official alumni network, school office or library, not from an unsolicited message. Before sharing a list with photographs of inscriptions or a home address, confirm the person’s role. If a link leads somewhere unrelated—such as a page about surprising your partner—treat that mismatch as a warning and verify the request through a known phone number.

Ask for the donation policy in writing, including accepted formats, any maximum quantity, packing rules and whether the school can collect from a local depot. A genuine request may ask for a general description of the books, but it should not require payment, banking login or redirecting a courier to a private address. Keep copies of emails and quote the school’s verified response when arranging collection or freight.

Complete the handover and keep records

At an on-site drop-off, hand books to a librarian or designated committee member during staffed hours. Some Australian schools have visitor sign-in, security badges or restricted collection days, so arrange access rather than leaving boxes at a gate. Ask whether the library can provide a receipt or acknowledgement listing the date, estimated number of volumes and any items set aside.

For a shipped donation, send the inventory, tracking number and delivery instructions to the agreed contact, then retain proof of postage until the school confirms receipt. Do not assume every book will be catalogued immediately; quarantine, appraisal and shelving may take time. If the library rejects duplicates or unsuitable items, agree on return or redistribution before the handover so no one is left deciding where a rejected carton should go.

Build an ongoing book partnership

After the first donation, ask the library to share its priority list with alumni and tell you when particular subjects are needed. This can prevent repeated transport costs and make annual drives more useful. Alumni can also coordinate neighbourhood collection points in Australian cities, then deliver one consolidated shipment when the school has confirmed space and volunteer support.

The alumni network’s Spoorthi magazine archive and SanskarKendra centres create other possible reading and community needs, but confirm with the school before redirecting a donation. Ask how items should be catalogued, stored and shared. Volunteers can help with checking books, recording titles and preparing reading corners, even when they live far away. A digital spreadsheet shared among trusted former students can track donated copies and prevent several donors from posting the same textbook on the same day.

For those who want to support alumni work more broadly, the community’s explanation of joining the alumni committee shows how service can lead to professional contacts, mentoring and exchange of job leads. That continuing role can keep former students connected to the school while also creating dependable channels for future book drives and other community projects.