This new feature, Bubbly Berls Babbles (or BBB), is kind of an adaptation of my old feature, Fun Questions, back at Fantasy is More Fun. And the title tells it all. I’m Bubbly, I’m Berls, and I’m about to Babble about something! I hope you’ll babble along with me 🙂
Today Bubbly Berls is Babbling about getting rid of ARCs!
So I’ve been on an organization spree lately (which will be the topic of a future BBB) and I’ve come to a little predicament. Unwanted ARCs. I have some that I’ve read and just don’t feel the need to keep. I have others that I have no desire to read – maybe I once did, though most I never did and I’m still not really sure how I ended up with them.
But they are still BOOKS. Which means I’m so NOT OKAY with throwing them away. But usually when I have books to get rid of, I do one of three things:
- Give them away. This is the most obvious to me, because one person’s “trash” is another person’s treasure. I’ve hung on to a couple of these ARCs through like two years of COYER though and, quite frankly, no one seems to want them.
- Sell them to Half Price Books. I’m financially challenged (which is my way of saying, not quite poor, but money is no easy thing either) and while I don’t get much for books at Half Price Books, I usually get enough to buy a replacement book. But ARCs are not for selling – I didn’t pay for it and even though I hear about people selling them, I’m pretty sure it’s illegal. If not, in my book it’s still wrong. So that’s out.
- Donate them. I like to give books to my libraries that I know are either: (1) not going to be worth much at Half Price Books or (2) probably a really good fit for a library (like YA). Honestly I have no idea how much they’d get checked out at a library, but maybe they’d become someone’s favorite. Question is… is it okay to donate ARCs to a library?
So that’s my conundrum. I need a home for these ARCs and I’m not sure what is the ethical way of getting rid of ARCs, short of tossing them.
I donate them to the library.
Oh and the few YA I get (I don’t ask for them, of course LOL) I give my friend who is a middle/high school librarian.
Lol! I’m sure the high school librarian appreciates them. I just took mine to the library – until the replies from this post I wasn’t sure I really could.
Luckily now a days, about 95% of the ARCs I receive are ebooks. But I still get the unsolicited ones from publishers once and a while. If they are actual, finished copies, I donate the books to my library. If they are ARCs and clearly marked as such, I first donate to friends who are interested in reading them. But because they are ARCs, I don’t feel right about having them in the world without the publisher’s permission. So if no one wants them, I recycle them. I feel bad, but I don’t feel I should give them away without permission. Great question – I like the idea of retirement/nursing homes. I’m totally going to do that with my next batch!
So I just left giving mine to my library – and it was so cool. I told them they were arcs and they pulled up this list of publishers they had permission to use their arcs in the library! Made me feel much better. Especially when they didn’t take one of the books because they didn’t have authorization. Told me I could contact publisher and get them to email permission and I just had to bring that printed email back and they’d accept it! How cool?!
That is AWESOME! I will have to check with my library next time I take a haul over there!
Right? I was really surprised, guess I should have asked earlier.
This is something I struggle with! If it’s a finished copy of a book I don’t mind either donating them or trading them on paperbackswap but I have no idea what to do with the uncorrected proofs. If I think any family member or friend would be interested in them I loan them out but that’s not really too much of an option. There’s a few I want to keep for sentimental reasons but I’ve gotten quite a collection! If you come up with a solution please share!
So far, it consensus seems to be donating to libraries, schools, and nursing homes or hospitals. I meant to go to my library today and see if they’d take them, but I didn’t make it before closing. So I’ll try tomorrow. I’ll try to remember to stop by and let you know!
Giveaways and donating to local women’s shelter works out well for me. Be sure and remove publicist label etc from them. Recently I am only accepting eARCs and finished copies. Mostly because of my eyes..but also so that I don’t have to deal with physical arcs.
Oh I didn’t even think the publicist label! I hadn’t thought of women’s shelters, that’s a great solution. I think I’ll look and see if there’s one near me. Thanks!!
Here is your solution you do a mystery giveaway for a box of ARC’s or small bag, what ever you can afford. You can tell them what type of genre is in there but they don’t know what ARC’s are there and then if you get some takers as I know a few who find it fun to win mystery giveaways, you can get rid of those ones you don’t like. 😉
I have this problem too with unwanted ARC’s and I have thought about the mystery giveaway….lol.
Lol that’s a fun idea! I might do that with some of them that have similar genres. Not all of them because of shipping, but that could definitely be fun! Good idea 🙂
I have only received two print ARCs so I haven’t experienced your dilemma but I have had an overflow of audiobooks. I contacted the librarian for my city and he gave me some great directions. I’d start there as the librarians across the country are plugged into the community and are wonderful resources to connect with organizations that may be in need.
Good luck!
P.S. Big no-no on selling them.
It’s so weird that I have these – I usually get audiobooks too. I think that’s why I’m even more stuck, not my normal situation. I know selling them is WAY wrong, even if I didn’t think it was illegal, it would just FEEL unethical. I’m going to talk to a Librarian today actually – because I’d they can take the books that’s the first thing I would want to do. And several people have suggested the library, so I think it’s a good shot. Thanks!!
My post was eaten but the gist of it was about Little Libraries and my love for them 🙂 I also use bookcrossing.com to shed myself of my unwanteds.
Oh I need to see if I can find some little libraries around here! I’ve never seen one, except on videos 🙁 I’ll check out bookcrossing.com Thank you!
I don’t get too many ARC’s so I haven’t really had this problem, but yeah… great question. The answers above seem pretty good! I just wanted to say hi! 🙂
Hi! *waves* Lol I don’t get many either, which is why I’m like “crap, what do I do with them?” I swear, I don’t even know how I ended up with most of these. Thankfully I think one of these suggestions will work 🙂
I never get physical ARC’s, so I have no idea what would be an appropriate way to get rid of ARC’s you no longer plan to read or want to get rid off. I like your idea of selling books you no longer want, but indeed as far as I know you aren’t allowed to sell ARC’s. Not sure about the library and if you can donate them there. Maybe you can e-mail a publicist once and ask them?
I also think Michele’s and Sarah’s ideas of just donating them to a school or free little library or something like that sounds like a good idea. As then you can do them away and someone else can still enjoy them.
I don’t really know any publicists for physical books – most the books I get from the publisher are audio books (which aren’t arcs and are 100% ok to sell to half price books, I’ve asked). But that would be a GREAT idea if I knew any. I think I’m going to try the donating to a library route first.
School libraries, public libraries, and teachers would all be happy to take ARC donations. I know plenty of teachers who keep mini libraries for their classrooms and would be happy to take them off yoour hands. You can also trade them on #booksfortrade. The few publishers I have talked to were okay with you trading them with other readers, so long as you are not *selling* them. They would much rather them go to other readers then have them be thrown away (and who could stand to place them in the garbage!!) 🙂
Exactly! I can’t bear the thought of throwing them away. All the teachers i know teach too young for these books, but maybe a high school could use them. But it’s good to know public libraries can take ARCs I like to donate to mine.
I know a lot of Hospitals with take them, even senior living place, Schools will also take them or maybe you can do a blind date giveaway. And pack up a few and give them away that way. Or find little libraries to put them in. If you know of any. I found one so far. LOL
Ohhh hospitals is a great idea – bet nursing homes would take them too! Not sure my ARCs are really school appropriate… I do also like the idea of a blind date giveaway. You’ve given me a lot of options to weigh! Thanks!