Welcome to Bookchurch

A non-religious, non-profit dedicated to reducing book waste through strategically targeted book donation boxes.

Ways to Help

Limit the Waste

Our goal is to sort through books and try to save as many as possible. We sort books, organize them, and try to find organizations that can use them!

Donation Boxes

Limit the Waste

We can't save all the books. But we sure try!

Cookbooks go to cooking schools. Music books go to music teachers. Paperback novels go to prisons. Picture books and activity books go to memory care facilities and retirement communities.

Creative Reuse

Limit the Waste

Creative Reuse

Through partnerships with community art centers & creative reuse collectives, we have found great ways to use the pages of damaged books! Rather than throw them away, we donate the unbound interiors, old maps, and more!

Who we donate to:

Our Mission

Bookchurch donates to many organizations and locations. If you are interested in participating or have a donation request, please reach out!

Here is a list of current and ongoing donations:

Santa Barbara County - Specific Subjects and Genres:

Santa Barbara Education Foundation: Through a partnership with the SB Education Foundation, Bookchurch is providing over 5000+ books to schools throughout Santa Barbara in 2024!
The Lynda Fairly Arts Center: We have donated over 200+ fine art books to their library, including major studies done on individuals, styles, and art museums - ranging from painting to sculpture.
Apples-to-Zucchini Cooking School: We gather and donate cookbooks of all types to allow the students a chance to view and prepare recipes, both new and old. Both classical and familial cookbooks and recipes are donated.
Murphy's Vinyl Shack: Assorted books and musician biographies.
Rockshop Academy: Rock, drum, guitar, and modern music books.
Renee's Classical Piano Lessons: Piano-specific material ranging from several hundred years, from classical to modern.
The Alcazar Theatre: Plays and Scripts, including the proposed installation of a shelf area for use by the acting troupes.
Dream World Collectibles: Comics and Graphic Novels for free Comic Book Day!
Wilderness Youth Foundation: Trail guides and nature-themed children's books.
The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology: (Ventura County) Bird guides and historical bird studies ranging over the past 100-years for internal education and research purposes.

Santa Barbara County - Multi-Subject and Genres:

Gran Vida Retirement and Memory Care: Provided mixed books for the tenants, as well as presented a 3-hour workshop on the art of book-binding, cover design, and interactive Q&A. We continue to donate requested genres and book types as communicated to us by the residents.
Presidio Springs Retirement Community: Recent donations to fill their library with new materials and an ongoing program to obtain Spanish material for the monolingual speakers.
Planned Parenthood: We donate boxes to this organization for their annual book sale. We are also seeking a way to reduce the after-sale waste by organizing a truck pickup when the sale ends.
Friends of the Carpinteria Library: We offer to bring and fill shelves for any particular genre they request or need. We also offer to assist with loading and unloading books on a regular basis.
Girl's Inc. Carpinteria: Books for all ages, including biographies of potential strong female role models, as well as entertainment and education-based books of multiple genres.

Books to Prisoners:

Los Angeles County, CA: Education-Based Incarceration Bureau
San Bernadino County, CA: FCI-1 Education Department
Pickaway County, OH: Jail System
Seattle, WA: Books-to-Prisoners Program through Left Bank Books
Vermillion County Jail, IN: Large donation to stock new library

Damaged Books:

Coastland Carpinteria: Vintage paper and pages, magazines, classic book covers for their art and paper mache programs.
Art From Scrap: Vintage books, maps, magazines, and posters for their art classes and learning programs.
Private Artists: From scrapbooking to vision boards, tell us what you need!!

Little Libraries:

We are always donating books to little libraries. If you wish to fill one near you, reach out to Lantern Tree Books in Carpinteria, CA. We have plenty of books to give you to fill up your little library! We will prepare a box, or let you choose from our collection of used titles.

Welcome to Bookchurch

Feedback from partners

Ways to Help

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Donation Boxes

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Creative Reuse

Limit the Waste

Creative Reuse

Who we donate to:

Our Mission

Santa Barbara County - Specific Subjects and Genres:

Santa Barbara County - Multi-Subject and Genres:

Books to Prisoners:

Damaged Books:

Little Libraries:

Our Partners

Welcome to Bookchurch

Feedback from partners

Ways to Help

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Donation Boxes

Limit the Waste

Limit the Waste

Creative Reuse

Limit the Waste

Creative Reuse

Who we donate to:

Our Mission

Santa Barbara County - Specific Subjects and Genres:

Santa Barbara County - Multi-Subject and Genres:

Books to Prisoners:

Damaged Books:

Little Libraries:

Our Partners

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