I came across Relit one night while surfing the web. It’s short for Read, Recycle, Repeat Literature in Transit, and it is a donation and recycling program that gives out free books to New Yorkers. You don’t have to go to them. They will come to you. You can find tham at big commuter hubs every month handing out hundreds of books to anyone who wants a good read.
I think this is a great idea. When I’m in the city riding the subway I often see people reading, particularly during periods of rush hour. The thing that peaks my interests the most is having the opportunity to discover a new author or a new genre that I might not have thought to read, and all for free. If you finish the book and/or you don’t like it you can always donate it back by returning it to one of their drop boxes.
According to their website
“We’re not a library, a thrift-shop or a book-exchange. What we do is unique and 100% catch-free. All our gently-used books are donated by others like you. We collect them from key drop-off locations and redistribute them. In this way, we not only recycle old books that would have been otherwise thrown out, but we also hope to encourage and spread the love of reading. ” ~Relit
Do you need to make some extra storage space? Do have any old books you don’t plan to read again? If you are interested in donating books, whatever the reason is, here’s how:
1) At their Drop Boxes located at various locations in New York.
-Whole Foods -Union Sq
-Whole Foods -Columbus & 97th
-The Invisible Dog- 51 Bergen St
2) By mail at: ReLIT NY, PO Box 1833, New York, NY 10159
3) Or to any volunteer at a handout.
Although all donations (fiction, non fiction, text books, children’s books, and foreign titles) are appreciated please do not bring old phone books, magazine, pamphlets, or manual. For more information on how to donate or if you want to volunteer and hand out books click here.
A Girl Travels 