I'm in the process of sorting through 1000s of books that my grandfather is getting rid of, and I'm looking for some advice on where to send them. Many are general interest books - history, etc. which I'm going to be donating to the local public library. However there are also lots of Jewish interest items which are a lot harder to place - the Jewish community in this small midwestern town is minute, and I don't expect the library will have any interest in more than a couple of these books. They run the gamut from Christian commentaries on Shir haShirim to the old Silberman Chumash Rashi, Soncino Gemara, Steinsaltz in English, to various Jason-Aaronson books (for exmaple "Mishna: An Introduction", "What Makes a Jewish Joke", etc. - these all in mint condition) right through to some old Feldheim and Artscroll printings (preview edition of the Siddur for example). Any suggestions on institutions or individuals that would be interested in these kind of items?

You can give the history books to me. My policy is that I never give away or throw out books. But as they say different folks different strokes.

They always come back in the end...

Hi, shuttle!

to shuttle!
Why don't you giv e them to your yeshiva/alma matter (I think they would be interested)?

Hi Gretchen, Hi pleats

My grandfather seems to have the same policy. (We're moving them on because he is no longer in a position to use them - barring some kind of Nes - please Daven for Yitzchak Isaac Hirsh ben Esther Malkah.) We're seriously talking about thousands of books in total. The problem with the Jewish interest books is that they're either obsolete (like the Soncino Gemara) having been superceded by more polished versions (why use the old ones when you can use Artscroll), or Apikorsus (the modern, secular, interpretations of Tanach) or otherwise obscure items (Habad published by J-A). A library that specialises in Jewish material might be interested in some of the items, such as the library of a Hillel house somewhere (the local Hillel here is rather pathetically in decline at least in terms of real Jewish content and knowledge - they recently did a major purge on their own library) - any suggestions?

Some of the books might be real antiques so be careful. I'd suggest create a library in memory of him, that's what I would personally do. If you're not interested in whatever reason than any other library might want them.

maybe u-penn's center for advanced judaic studies?

I would love to get some of those books.

Not so sure they'd take the items. Most institutions have policies regarding gifts and donations.
Though perhaps a shul in the area may be interested, if they are building a collection or missing volumes...perhaps even a (gasp) non-Orthodox congregation would be interested in some of the materials. If not, a yeshiva.

Remember also, that libraries and other institutions often turn away such donations, as the time and effort in decided whether or not the book fits the collection or is a duplicate, etc. isn't always worth the effort.

I know someone, who got tons of old books from a closing library or something. He's made a fairly successfull business out of it on eBay.

I'll take as many as you can give me. I have a plenty of room in my house and would be happy to have the books.

Non-orthodox congregations are all we have in this little town. And it's in decline (haven't managed to get a minyan on Shabbos in the past few weeks). Don't think anyone really reads anymore... certainly not the older books.

Ironically enough that's exactly what's happening - some of the books I'm planning to bring to the Public Library are books that my grandfather bought *from* the library at a book sale...

If you're in the Midwest, and possibly in Illinois or close to, you can send them to University of Chicago's Ludwig Rosenberger's Library of Judaica or the Spertus Institute of Chicago which has a very small but active library.

Heck, I don't need room...just send em.

Don't give away the apikursis. You wouldn't want someone reading it because of you. Throw it away.

He didn't say there was any apikursis in the collection.

yes he did -

Checking on your progress there, shuttle.

(You might have to wait till Pesach to hear it )

Pesach passed and I almost forgot about this... I think a lot of books have been distributed amongst family, others have been dumped on the local library. I'll probably be back there in a month or two and see how things are going.

"Welcome home, [Shuttle]."