--- title: "Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago | Give My Books" description: "A community book-sharing program in Chicago that runs both ways. Donors schedule free pickup, and schools request books through the Give ME Books program." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "Give My Books Network", "legalName": "Book Sourcing Mastery, LLC", "url": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com", "logo": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/social-card.jpg", "image": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/social-card.jpg", "description": "Give My Books Network provides free door-to-door book donation pickup services across the United States. We collect books, textbooks, CDs, DVDs, and more – giving your items a second life while supporting literacy programs.", "foundingDate": "2022", "telephone": "+1-855-506-8633", "email": "support@givemybooksnetwork.com", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "2091 Stratton Ct.", "addressLocality": "Ann Arbor", "addressRegion": "MI", "postalCode": "48108", "addressCountry": "US" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-855-506-8633", "contactType": "customer service", "email": "support@givemybooksnetwork.com", "availableLanguage": "English" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/givemybooksnetwork", "https://www.instagram.com/givemybooksnetwork", "https://twitter.com/givemybooks" ], "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Service", "name": "Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago, IL", "serviceType": "Donations Center", "description": "A community book-sharing program in Chicago that runs both ways. Donors schedule free pickup, and schools request books through the Give ME Books program.", "url": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/chicago-il/community-book-sharing-program", "areaServed": { "@type": "City", "name": "Chicago", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, "provider": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/#organization" }, "offers": { "@type": "Offer", "price": "0", "priceCurrency": "USD", "description": "Free pickup service" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/#organization", "name": "Give My Books Network", "url": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com", "telephone": "+1-855-506-8633", "email": "support@givemybooksnetwork.com" }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Chicago", "item": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/chicago-il" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Community Book-Sharing Program", "item": "https://givemybooksnetwork.com/chicago-il/community-book-sharing-program" } ] }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does an organization request books through Give ME Books?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Through the Give ME Books program, which is the request side of the network. Schools, tutoring programs, ESL classrooms, senior centers, shelters, and literacy programs all use it. Note the capital ME, which is the program's actual name rather than a stray shift key on somebody's part." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will my books go to a school in my own Chicago neighborhood?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Maybe, and we are not going to promise it. Books move through the network based on what organizations are requesting, and that does not always mean the nearest block. What is true is that they keep circulating rather than ending up in a landfill somewhere south of the city." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I donate to a Little Free Library instead?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Sure, and many people do keep a few titles back for the box on their parkway. Little Free Libraries are also among the organizations that request books through Give ME Books, so the two are not in competition with each other in any meaningful way." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is there a minimum donation size in Chicago?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No minimum at all. Two bags of paperbacks is a genuine contribution, and so is a single box. There is no threshold you have to reach before scheduling is worth it, and a Local Pick-Up Partner will collect a small donation as readily as a large one." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does the partner sort my books at my door?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Sorting happens offsite at the partner's own workspace after collection. Your job ends when the boxes are packed and set out in a dry spot by 8 AM. Nobody is going to stand on your stoop making judgments about your reading habits." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who are the Local Pick-Up Partners?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Locally owned, family-operated businesses in your area rather than a national company. Every pickup ends with a 3-click review, ratings are public, and consistently strong partners earn a Top Giver badge. Give My Books Network has passed 200,000 books redistributed across 18-plus years." } } ] } ] } ] --- Feedback ![Give My Books Network Logo](/assets/gmbn-logo-BsMIhLrP.png) - Learn More Schedule Pick-UpGive ME BooksBecome a Pick-Up Partner Sign In 1. [Home](/) 2. [Chicago](/chicago-il) 3. Community Book-Sharing Program # Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago, IL Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago, IL: Schedule a Free Pickup Today Schedule Free PickupView All Chicago Services # Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago **Quick answer:** Give My Books Network runs a community book-sharing program in Chicago that moves in two directions. Donors schedule a free doorstep pickup, and schools, shelters, and literacy programs request titles through the Give ME Books program. Pickup is free, a Local Pick-Up Partner collects between 8 AM and 8 PM, and nobody needs to be home. ## How Does the Give ME Books Request Program Work? Organizations request titles through Give ME Books, which is the request side of the Give My Books Network community book-sharing program. Note the capital letters, because ME is part of the program name rather than a typo. Who requests? Title I schools. After-school tutoring programs. ESL classrooms. Senior centers. Shelters. Prison literacy programs. Community centers. Homeschool families. Little Free Libraries, including the ones bolted to a parkway post two blocks from a Loyola University lecture hall, quietly restocked by whoever remembers to. What we will not tell you is that any specific request gets filled with any specific box. That is not how a network operates and we are not going to pretend it is. Requests come in, partners fill what they can, and the matching is real without being a promise. Anybody offering you a fixed route for your particular paperbacks is selling something. Schedule Free Pickup ![How Does the Give ME Books Request Program Work?](/assets/service-pickup-books-BYI_zy2v.jpg) ## How Do Chicago Donors Take Part? Enter your ZIP code, choose a service day, pack your boxes, and set them out by 8 AM. A Local Pick-Up Partner collects them between 8 AM and 8 PM, and you do not need to be home. Most donors arrive wondering where to donate books in Chicago, and the answer turns out to be their own front step. If a partner serves your ZIP, you can book right away. If nobody serves it yet, the request enters the out-of-area pickup system, where nearby partners may claim it. ### Where to Donate Books to Chicago Schools and Libraries Books reach Chicago schools and libraries through the Give ME Books request side, not by you driving them anywhere. Pack them, set them out, and let the network do the matching. In a three-flat that means the vestibule. In a bungalow, the covered back porch. In a high-rise, the package room or the front desk, worked out with the building first, since Give My Books Network works within whatever access rules a building sets. Schedule Free Pickup ![How Do Chicago Donors Take Part?](/assets/service-pickup-books-BYI_zy2v.jpg) ## What Counts as a Contribution in Chicago? More than people think, and far less than people fear. Two bags of paperbacks is a real contribution to the Chicago network, and so is a single box. - Hardcovers, paperbacks, children's books, textbooks, cookbooks, reference titles - CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS tapes, vinyl records, audiobooks on disc - Board games, puzzles, card games, video games There is no minimum and no threshold you have to clear before this is worth anybody's time. If you have been putting it off because it did not feel like enough, that is the thing to let go of. You pack the books, because the Local Pick-Up Partner does not bring boxes. Boxes or sturdy bags, well packed and not too heavy. Do not sort, since partners sort everything offsite after collection. Schedule Free Pickup ![What Counts as a Contribution in Chicago?](/assets/service-books-collection-DJKSmgFT.jpg) ## Where Do the Books Actually Go? Many items are redistributed to readers, schools, libraries, nonprofits, and organizations that request books through the Give ME Books program. Some are resold by the partner, which is what allows the pickup to be free and what allows a local family to make a living doing it. Items that cannot be reused may eventually be recycled as a last resort. Everybody in that sentence gains something, which is the point of the model and not an accident of it. If you want the wider context on how book donations get matched to institutions that can actually use them, the [American Library Association's guide to book donation programs](https://libguides.ala.org/book-donations) is the clearest thing written on it. Schedule Free Pickup ## Why Accountability Is Built Into the Chicago Network A network that runs on trust needs a way to check itself, so every Give My Books Network pickup in Chicago closes with a 3-click review. Ratings are public. Partners who do the work well over time earn a Top Giver badge and better placement. The partners themselves are locally owned and family-operated. Not a call center, not a national operation with a logo. Real people who happen to have chosen this as the family business, and who have been doing it long enough that the network has passed 200,000 books redistributed across 18-plus years. Schedule, set out, done. The rest of the network takes it from there. Schedule Free Pickup ![Why Accountability Is Built Into the Chicago Network](/assets/service-pickup-books-BYI_zy2v.jpg) ## How Community Book-Sharing Program Works in Chicago ### Schedule Online Book your free community book-sharing program in Chicago in just 2 minutes. ### Set Your Location Tell us where to pick up - we come to your door. ### We Pick Up Our local Pick-Up Partner arrives on your scheduled date. ### Books Get New Life Your donations support readers and literacy programs. ## Why Choose GMBN for Community Book-Sharing Program ### 100% Free Service No fees, no hidden costs - just free pickup. ### Door-to-Door Convenience We come to you. No trips to donation centers. ### Flexible Scheduling Pick a date that works for your schedule. ### Eco-Friendly Keep books out of landfills and in circulation. ### Support Literacy Your books help readers across the community. ### All Media Accepted Books, textbooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How does an organization request books through Give ME Books? ### Will my books go to a school in my own Chicago neighborhood? ### Can I donate to a Little Free Library instead? ### Is there a minimum donation size in Chicago? ### Does the partner sort my books at my door? ### Who are the Local Pick-Up Partners? ## Related Services in Chicago [ ### Donate Books to Literacy Programs Learn more ](/chicago-il/donate-books-to-literacy-programs)[ ### Donate Books to Community Centers Learn more ](/chicago-il/donate-books-to-community-centers)[ ### Donate Books to Libraries Learn more ](/chicago-il/donate-books-to-libraries)[ ### Donate Books to Little Free Libraries Learn more ](/chicago-il/donate-books-to-little-free-libraries)[ ### Book Recycling Service Learn more ](/chicago-il/book-recycling-service)[ ### Book & Media Recycling Learn more ](/chicago-il/book-and-media-recycling) [Back to Chicago Hub](/chicago-il) ## Schedule Your Community Book-Sharing Program in Chicago Ready to give your books a second life? Schedule your free pickup today. Schedule Free Pickup ![Give My Books Network Logo](/assets/gmbn-logo-BsMIhLrP.png) **America's Nationwide Community Book-Sharing Network.** Free book and media pickup service! Local Pick-Up Partners collect your donated books, CDs, DVDs, and media right from your doorstep. They resell to support their families and can donate through our Give ME Books program. #### Quick Links About UsWhere to Donate BooksGive Me BooksPick-Up RequestBecome Pick-Up PartnerBecome an AffiliateFAQsContact Us #### Follow [](https://facebook.com/givemybooksnetwork)[](https://x.com/givemybooksnet)[](https://instagram.com/givemybooksnetwork) Privacy| Acceptable Use Policy| Disclaimer| Terms of Use| SMS Policy| [EntityMap](/entitymap.html "Structured entity index of this site for AI systems") © 2026 Give My Books Network, All rights reserved