Start Here: What Kind of Collection Do You Have?
The right option depends less on the number of books and more on what kind of books they are.
A collection made up primarily of fiction, popular paperbacks, romance novels, or mass-market titles has limited resale value and is best handled through a thrift store, library bookstore, or junk removal service. There is nothing wrong with that. It is the honest answer, and it saves you time.
A collection made up primarily of quality non-fiction, such as academic textbooks, theological and biblical studies, history, biography, professional reference, law, medicine, or science, is a different situation. These books often have meaningful resale value and deserve a more careful evaluation before they go to a donation bin.
Most large personal libraries contain a mix of both. The presence of some fiction or popular titles does not disqualify a collection from a more careful review.
The Realistic Options
1. Goodwill and Local Thrift Stores
Best for: Mixed collections, fiction-heavy collections, or situations where speed is the priority.
Goodwill and similar thrift stores process books quickly and put them on the shelf for $1–$3 each. This is the right option when the collection is primarily fiction, popular paperbacks, or heavily worn books, or when the family simply needs the space cleared quickly. For North Alabama residents, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Friends of the Library bookstore is often a better choice than Goodwill for the same books, since proceeds support the library system.
2. Library Bookstores
Best for: Fiction, general non-fiction, hardcovers in good condition, donors who want the proceeds to support a local institution.
The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Friends of the Library organization accepts book donations and sells them through their bookstore locations. They accept a wide range of material, including fiction, which often circulates in both directions: readers buy a novel from the library bookstore, finish it, and donate it back. Call ahead before bringing a large collection, since they have limited storage capacity.
3. Independent and Chain Used Bookstores
Best for: Popular titles in very good condition, recent releases, donors who want store credit or cash.
Booklegger (Holmes Avenue) buys books for store credit and accepts donations of titles they cannot purchase. 2nd & Charles (Hwy 72W in Madison) buys books for cash, though offers tend to be low. It is worth scanning a sample of titles on BookScouter before visiting either store.
4. Specialized Collection Services
Best for: Academic, theological, professional reference, and other quality non-fiction collections, especially those built by professors, preachers, attorneys, physicians, or serious lifelong readers.
A specialized collection service handles substantial non-fiction libraries with the goal of placing the books with readers who will actually use them, rather than processing them as bulk donations. This is the option that matches what most people say they actually want for a preacher's, professor's, or serious reader's library: for the books to continue serving someone.
North Alabama Book Exchange is a specialized collection service focused on quality non-fiction from North Alabama. Send a few photos of the book spines on the shelves, and we will review the collection and respond within a day. If it is a good fit, we arrange pickup at no cost. There is no obligation and no boxing required.
5. Online Selling (Amazon, eBay)
Best for: Families with one or two high-value items, or those willing to invest significant time for a higher return.
Selling books individually online is the highest-return option for truly valuable titles, but it is the most time-intensive and is a different path from the donation and stewardship options above. The exception is when the collection contains a small number of genuinely rare titles. Listing those few individually and handling the rest through one of the options above is a reasonable hybrid approach.
6. Junk Removal
Best for: Collections that are heavily worn, water-damaged, moldy, or otherwise unsalvageable.
Junk removal is the right answer for books that are genuinely beyond donation. Companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK and College Hunks operate in the Huntsville area and can clear a room quickly. If you are unsure, send photos to a specialized collection service before calling junk removal.
If you have a large non-fiction collection and are not sure whether it warrants a closer look, the fastest answer is a few photos. Text a few photos of your book spines to (256) 585-6596 or email them to us after submitting. We'll respond within a day. If it's a collection we can help with, we'll tell you honestly. If it isn't, we'll tell you that too, and point you toward the right option.
Submit photos for a free collection reviewMatching Your Collection to the Right Option
What Happens to the Books
When North Alabama Book Exchange acquires a collection, the books are evaluated, listed on Amazon's marketplace, and sold to readers across the country who are actively searching for them.
A commentary set that sat for thirty years on a preacher's study wall in Huntsville may end up in the hands of a Bible student in Georgia, a church planter in Colorado, or a scholar in Virginia. A professor's run of academic monographs from Oxford and Cambridge presses may be acquired, one volume at a time, by graduate students writing dissertations on the same subjects the professor taught. An attorney's professional library may be picked up by a younger attorney building a practice in a related specialty.
The books continue to serve readers, which is what the person who built the collection would have wanted.
If you have a large non-fiction collection and are not sure whether it warrants a closer look, the fastest answer is a few photos. Text a few photos of your book spines to (256) 585-6596 or email them to us after submitting. We'll respond within a day. If it's a collection we can help with, we'll tell you honestly. If it isn't, we'll tell you that too, and point you toward the right option.
Submit photos for a free collection reviewFrequently Asked Questions
What makes a specialized collection service different from donating to Goodwill or the library?
Goodwill and library bookstores are excellent for general fiction, paperbacks, and popular titles. A specialized collection service takes quality non-fiction that would otherwise be priced at a dollar a book and places it with readers who are actively searching for those specific titles. The difference is where the books end up: a commentary set from a preacher's library that would sit unsold on a thrift store shelf instead reaches a Bible student who has been looking for it.
Do I need to sort, box, or catalog the books before a review?
No. For a photo-based review, a few clear photos of the book spines still on the shelves is enough. Sorting and boxing should only happen after a collection has been confirmed as a good fit.
What kinds of collections are North Alabama Book Exchange most interested in?
Substantial non-fiction of several kinds: academic and university-level titles, theology and biblical studies, history, biography, philosophy, business and economics, military history, science and technical subjects, and large hardback or multi-volume sets. Collections from professors, preachers, attorneys, physicians, and lifelong serious readers are often the best fit.
Is there ever a reason to sell rather than donate?
In some cases, yes. If a collection contains a small number of genuinely rare titles, those can be worth listing individually on Amazon or eBay for a higher return. For the rest of the collection, a specialized collection service is usually the simpler path. If you are unsure whether anything in the collection falls in the rare category, we are happy to tell you honestly after a photo review.
How quickly can you respond?
We respond to every photo submission within one business day. If a collection is a good fit, pickup is typically arranged within the same week.
Related Reading
- Settling an Estate That Includes a Significant Book Collection: estate-specific guidance for executors and surviving family
- Where to Donate Books in Huntsville, Alabama: local intake options in detail
- What to Do with a Preacher's Library: for theological collections specifically
North Alabama Book Exchange serves Huntsville, Madison County, Athens, Decatur, Scottsboro, Florence, Cullman, Birmingham, and surrounding North Alabama communities.