Why Donate

WePAC supports school libraries because we believe that the love of reading is foundational to lifelong learning.  Through donations, we strive to build collections that nurture the joy of reading and send the message to the children we serve that they and their passions are valuable and beautiful.  What follows are guidelines for donations that support WePAC’s values.  

What to Donate 

• Books requested by our team leaders from this list
• Grade Levels: Core levels: K-4th Grades (picture books, early readers, early fiction, nonfiction); Supplementary:  5th-8th Grades

• Condition:  We accept new and gently used books.  We do not accept books that: 
  • Are stamped “discard” or “used”
  • Have torn, yellowed, moldy, or stained pages, are scribbled in or colored on, are missing pages or covers, or smell musty
  • Have a child’s name or dedication written in them (such as, “To Isaac for his 5th birthday, Love, Grandma”) 
  • Contain outdated information (such as, “The USSR is the world’s first first Marxist-Communist state spanning Europe and Asia.”)
  • If you are unsure about whether to donate a book, ask yourself if you would give the book as a gift to a child you know personally.  If the answer is yes, then the book is in good enough condition to donate to WePAC.  Please donate books that you would be proud to give to any child.

• Types of Books:  Fiction and Nonfiction (please no encyclopedias, reference books, or religiously themed books)
  • We are always looking for books that feature diverse characters, particularly characters of color, that reflect the children whom we serve. 
  • We accept:
    • Picture books (such as, Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o)
    • Early readers (such as, the Pete the Cat series by James Dean and the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems)
    • Early fiction (including graphic novels) (such as, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, the Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, and New Kid & Class Act by Jerry Craft)
    • Fiction (such as, the Ghost series by Jason Reynolds and the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan)
    • Nonfiction books (especially books about sharks, snakes, and natural disasters).  

How to Donate

If you have books you are looking to donate, please reach out to us at 215-452-0333 or info@wepac.org with 1) the number of books and 2) what types of books are being offered.  We have limited space to store books, so we may not be able to accept all the books you are looking to donate. We will coordinate a good day and time to pick up your donation. We are also happy to provide a letter of acknowledgement of your donation.

When WePAC Is Not a Good Home for Your Donation

If WePAC is unable to accept your donation, there are other potential homes for your books.  Please contact:

• BookSmiles Book Bank 
• Books Through Bars: (215) 727-8170
• Reading Recycled:  (215) 279-7450
• Tree House Books: (215) 236-1760

Books can also make great donations to thrift stores, especially ones in underserved communities.