We are available to receive your donations at our 2181 Embury Park Rd. Dayton offices all year round. Our regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There are staff members on hand to help you get your books unloaded, or you can use our contactless drop-off point at the front vestibule.
We also have a Book Drop available during our closed hours, but this is only appropriate for smaller donations. (It will not accommodate books in boxes for instance.)
You can arrange to have donations picked up if you are unable to bring them to us. This is a free service we offer, please call the office during business hours (937) 999-4491 or email us at daytonbookfair@gmail.com to discuss your situation and to get an appointment. We can even pack your books if necessary.
If you need boxes to pack your donations in, please let us know, we are happy to loan you whatever you need. It is very awkward for us to unpack your books as the donation comes in, so if you need boxes, we are happy to provide them. When packing remember that it is better for your books, and you can fit more books in the box, if you pack them flat rather than on their edges.
We accept all books of any age on all subject matters. We also are happy to receive your records, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, games, software, computer games, art work, items related to Dayton-history, desk sets, office supplies and so forth. Someone once donated a player piano! If you are unsure, just give us a call.
There are a few things that we cannot use and first on the list are wet, moldy books and items that have been soiled by pets. (Please!) Heavy smoke also makes books worthless. We pass along all VHS, cassettes and most encyclopedias to the Goodwill outlet. National Geographic Magazines published after 1930 are similarly donated to other organizations or sent to recycle. They are so beautiful that hardly anyone throws them away, and thus, very few people are looking to get more of them. (It breaks our heart too.)
Before you donate, we have a favor to ask. Please do not block out your name, inscriptions, bookplates etc. with a pen or black marker. Famous people have given us books without feeling that they had to mark their names out. Blacking out your name makes the book you’re donating practically worthless. And it looks so ugly. So, please, put down that sharpie.
Your donations are tax deductible and the IRS stipulates that you determine the value of what you’ve donated. Signed receipts, which are appropriate for donations up to $500 are readily available. In special situations, a letter acknowledging your donation for a larger amount can be arranged. If you believe that your donation is worth more than $5000, it must be appraised by a third party professional prior to donation for the Internal Revenue Service to accept that claim.
Dayton Book Fair 