Location & Hours
What are your donation policies?
Material Donations:
- Anytime during open business hours: two grocery bags or standard boxes (e.g., copy paper or banker's) or less
- All other by appointment only 512-974-7463
- We do not pick up donations.
The bookstore accepts
- All printed material except for magazines
- CDs and LPs
- DVDs and Blu-Rays
- VHS
- Audio cassettes
- Art and ephemera
- Complete board games and puzzles
Please call 512-974-7463 if you have other specific items to donate.
The bookstore does not accept
- Magazines
We don't accept materials that are insect infested or moldy. Please bring donations in grocery or reusable bags (no trash bags), or standard or smaller sized boxes (e.g., copy paper, banker's) that you do not need returned.
For security reasons, we only accept donations during open hours and by appointment. We are not allowed to touch items abandoned outside of our doors.
Monetary Donations:
We do accept monetary donations in addition to the items listed above. All proceeds benefit the Austin Public Library.
We offer tax receipts for all donations.
Will you buy my books?
Recycled Reads only accepts materials by donation in support of the Austin Public Library.
I know of an excellent cause. Do you donate to other organizations?
No, as per City policy, we cannot donate materials.
Do teachers / educators receive discounts?
No, as part of a City department, we must offer the same prices and services to all customers. Our prices include sales tax. If you have a Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification or Permit, please bring a physical copy, and we will be happy to deduct the sales tax from your total.
What is your pricing policy?
We sell books, recorded material, art, ephemera, games, puzzles and more! Most of our materials are priced $2 and under. We can offer such great prices for our community because our mission is to extend the life of materials, and we receive such a high volume. We also have specially priced rare, ephemera and collectible items (we do not negotiate prices).
Our prices include sales tax. If you have a Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification or Permit, please bring a physical copy and we will be happy to deduct the sales tax from your total.
All sales are final.
Please visit our 5,000 square foot bookstore to find your next treasure.
What is "weeding"?
Weeding is a term used in the library world to describe the removal of materials from a collection. When library material is damaged, outdated or simply not being used, library staff must make decisions to cull the collection to make room for new material. Librarians use many different guidelines for determining what to weed from their collections.
Can I return my library materials to you?
No, we cannot accept returns of library materials. Please visit one of the two closest branches, Yarborough or North Village to return items. Here is a list of all Austin Public Library locations.
Do you have computers, printers, copiers or meeting rooms for public use?
No, we do not offer these services. Please visit one of the two closest branches, Yarborough or North Village to return items. Here is a list of all Austin Public Library locations.
Why are your hours different from the libraries?
We have a very small staff and greatly rely on our awesome and dedicated volunteers. We cannot offer our services without those who perform the daily operations of bringing in donations, sorting, shelving, and other projects.
Can I volunteer?
We strive to match your skills and interests with our needs and have a diverse program that reflects our community. Positions are open to all individuals who meet the qualifications. We will contact applicants who have the skills and experience required for an interview.
Volunteer duties involve unloading and carrying boxes, sorting materials, shelving, tidying the sales floor, and customer service.
This position requires ability to push carts up to 75 lbs., to bend, stoop, and stretch, and to work with office equipment. We seek applicants with previous experience working in retail, library, bookstore and warehouse / stocking environments. Shifts are 2-4 hours with a minimum six-month commitment.
At this time, Recycled Reads does not offer positions for community service requirements.
Please see our open opportunities
Do you have any upcoming events or sales?
Please see our calendar for programs and sales.
