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Donate Books and Materials

Donate books to be sold in the Newberry Bookshop and at free public programs or fill out our donation form to inquire about contributing an item to the Newberry's collection.

The Newberry accepts donations of used books to be sold in the Newberry’s Rosenberg Bookshop and online.

Donate Used Books

We accept donations of used books, which are sold in the Newberry Bookshop and at free public programs throughout the year.

Book donations are accepted year-round and can be dropped off between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, Monday through Saturday at the Newberry’s north entrance off of Oak Street. Please ring the bell at the door for entry and place donations in the box just inside the door. If you're dropping off more than 10 boxes, we ask that you contact us in advance at (312) 255-3581 or via email.

We accept books in all genres. We ask that you do not donate the following:

Reference books such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and travel guides
Textbooks
Magazines, newspapers, posters, calendars, and bookmarks
Playbills
Sheet music
Vinyl records, VHS cartridges, cassettes tapes, 8-track cartridges, Laser Discs, reel-to-reel tapes, DVDs, and CDs
Household items, electronics, and non-book items
Books that have torn and missing pages or water damage

We regret that we are unable to pick up books.

Donations are tax deductible. We can provide you with a receipt when you make your donation.

Used books are sorted and priced by volunteers and then sold in our bookshop, at free public programs throughout the year, and through our online partner Thriftbooks. All proceeds from sales benefit the library’s collections and programs.

Donate to the Collection

Newberry curators focus on collecting original and primary sources such as manuscripts and early editions of printed books and maps. We also selectively acquire secondary literature that will help users access and use original source material. Examples of secondary literature include scholarly editions of primary sources, reference tools, monographs, journals, and digital resources.

If you are considering a gift of materials to the Newberry, please review our core subject areas and fill out the form below. The appropriate curator or librarian will be in touch.

Donation Inquiry Form

Questions marked by an asterisk (*) are required.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Phone*

Street Address*

Address Line Two

City*

State*

Zip/Postal Code*

What is it?*

Please be as specific as possible: include names, dates, physical description, and any other information you can see by examining the material.

Please indicate the relevant Newberry collecting area (if known):*

How big is it?*

Please provide measured or estimated dimensions in H x W x D format.

Upload Image 1:

Upload Image 2:

If possible, please attach 1 or 2 images (no larger than 2MB each) of the item(s) you wish to donate to the Museum. Images that capture key features or document the condition of the item(s) help the curatorial staff evaluate donation offers (if you are proposing a large volume of papers, books, or images, please provide sample images).

Have you uploaded an image of your item?*

Have a question?

Get in Touch

For more information about donating used books to the Newberry, call (312) 255-3581 or send us an email.

Email Us

Donate Books and Materials

Donate Used Books

How and when can I donate?

What can I donate?

Will you pick up books?

Is my donation tax deductible?

How do you use donations of used books?

Donate to the Collection

Donation Inquiry Form

Get in Touch

The Newberry Collection

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