LessIsMore.org: Santa Barbara County's Recycling Resource

Books revolutionized communication. It's an easy thing to forget when we have the internet at our finger tips!

What should I do with my used books?

Give them to friends, donate to libraries, or see if a used book store or thrift shop might want them. These are great options for other media as well.

If you have a paperback book that is truly unusable, please recycle it in your blue bin at home or work.

Where to go

• All of Santa Barbara County (3)

  • Craigslist —
  • E-Bay —
  • Junk Recyclers — 6520 Platt Avenue #650

• Carpinteria Area (2)

  • Friends of the Carpinteria Library Used Bookstore — 5103 Carpinteria Avenue
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Carpinteria Branch — 5141 Carpinteria Avenue

• Santa Barbara Area (14)

  • Alpha Thrift Store — 700 North Milpas Street
  • Assistance League of Santa Barbara — 1259 Veronica Springs Rd
  • Goodwill Industries of Santa Barbara — 302 W. Carrillo St
  • Goodwill Industries of Santa Barbara (Drop-Off Location Only) — 335 S. Milpas Street
  • Happy Little Hippo — 2919 De La Vina Street
  • Mesa Bookstore — 1838 Cliff Drive
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Central Library — 40 East Anapamu Street
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Montecito Branch — 1469 East Valley Road
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System Eastside Branch — 1102 East Montecito Street
  • Santa Barbara Thrifty Shopper Thrift Store — 609 E Haley St
  • The Book Den — 15 East Anapamu Street
  • United Family Association Thrift — 5156 Hollister Avenue
  • United Family Association Thrift Store — 5156 Hollister Avenue
  • Unity Shoppe — 1219 State Street

• Goleta & UCSB Area (4)

  • Alpha Thrift Store — 5949 Hollister Ave
  • Alpha Thrift Store — 5624 Hollister Ave
  • Paperback Alley Used Books — 5840 Hollister Avenue
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Goleta Branch — 500 North Fairview Ave

• Santa Ynez Valley (11)

  • Buellton Senior Thrift Store c/o Buellton Senior Center — 56 West Highway 246
  • New to You Shop — 1689 Oak
  • People Helping People Thrift Store — 545 North Alisal Road, Suite 102
  • People Helping People Thrift Store — 175 McMurray Road
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Buellton Branch — 140 West Highway 246
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Los Olivos Branch — 2374 Alamo Pintado Avenue
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Santa Ynez Branch — 3598 Sagunto
  • Santa Barbara Public Library System – Solvang Branch — 1745 Mission Drive
  • Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society Treasures Thrift Store — 393 Alisal Road
  • Santa Ynez Valley Opportunity Shop — 3630 Sagunto Street, Suite E
  • The Book Loft — 1680 Mission Drive

• Lompoc Valley & VAFB (7)

  • Goodwill Industries Lompoc — 1009 North "H" Street
  • Lompoc Community Services — 325 North 2nd Street
  • Lompoc Public Library — 501 East North Avenue
  • Lompoc Public Library – Vandenberg Village Branch — 3755 Constellation Road
  • The Bookstore — 1137 North "H" Street, Suite Q
  • Vandenberg Air Force Base Airman’s Attic — Building 11175, New Mexico Avenue
  • Vandenberg Air Force Base Thrift Shop — Building 11890, New Mexico Avenue

• Santa Maria Valley (9)

  • Central Coast Super Thrift Store — 306 North Broadway
  • Goodwill Industries Orcutt — 3486 Orcutt Road
  • Goodwill Industries Retail Store — 1539 Stowell Center Plaza
  • Main Thrift Store — 215 West Main Street
  • New Image Thrift Store — 2512 South Broadway Street
  • Santa Maria Public Library — 421 South McClelland Street
  • Santa Maria Public Library System – Guadalupe Branch — 4719 West Main Street, Suite D
  • Santa Maria Public Library System – Orcutt Branch — 175 S. Broadway Street
  • VTC Enterprises Thrift Store — 2445 A Street

• Cuyama Valley (1)

  • Santa Maria Public Library System, Cuyama Branch — Highway 166 at Newsome

• Outside Santa Barbara County (14)

  • BookMooch —
  • Books for Africa — 253 East 4th Street, Suite 200 (address for financial donations)
  • Books for Soldiers — 116 Lowes Food Drive, #123
  • CalRecycle —
  • Craigslist —
  • Earth911.com – Information Only — 3481 Plano Parkway
  • Follett Educational Services — 1433 Internationale Parkway
  • Freecycle — P.O. Box 294
  • GreenTextbooks.org Recycling Program — 1871 East Wild Willow Lane
  • Independent Book Buying Services,LLC — 4353 Rowland Avenue
  • International Book Project, Inc. — 1440 Delaware Avenue
  • Operation Paperback —
  • PaperBackSwap —
  • Swap.com operated by Netcycler, Inc. — 3 Timber Court