Be fair to customers and our employees, promote literacy, be kind to the environment and remain financially viable so we may continue.
—Our Mission Statement in the words of HPB Co-Founder Pat Anderson
In the Community
Half Price Books is committed to promoting literacy
and being kind to the environment.
Half Price Books believes that books should fill our lives, not our land, which is why we strive to donate or recycle any books that we do not sell in our stores. Whenever possible, we keep books in circulation so many more readers can enjoy them. Throughout our history, we have been able to donate millions of books to nonprofit groups in our local community and worldwide.
We aim to be an active part of our neighborhood community through programs like our hands-on Green Team projects, our b(eco)me bagless initiative, our year-round Educator Discount, the annual Half Pint Library book drive, as well as advocating for First Amendment rights through our deletecensorship.org website.
Literacy
Supporting Literacy Since 1972.
Half Price Books believes that people of all ages deserve the opportunity to learn how to read. We encourage our employees and customers to become literacy volunteers through our A, E, I, O & YOU Program. Half Price Books offers a free video featuring literacy volunteers and students. This video is available to any nonprofit organization that wishes to promote literacy volunteerism. To obtain this video, please email your request to Customer Care.
You can join us in this cause and show your support by donating to or volunteering with one of the following organizations:
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National Center for Family Literacy |
Reach Out and Read National Center |
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National Institute for Literacy |
Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. |
When we began the Half Pint Library program in 1999, we had no idea that the support from our patrons would be so tremendous. Thanks to your help, we have provided more than two and a half million books and created hundreds of Half Pint Libraries across the nation. 313,840 books were donated during the 2011 Half Pint Library book drive. Thank you for helping to share the love of reading with deserving children and their families. We hope to reach even greater heights next year.
What is a Half Pint Library?
The Half Pint Library program is a book drive hosted each year by Half Price Books to collect and distribute children’s books to those in need. Books donated through the Half Pint Library program provide an escape from the challenges faced by children, while helping to boost literacy skills outside of school. In many cases, children are getting their first book through the Half Pint Library program. The drive accepts any type of children’s book, including Spanish language books, as long as they are in good condition. The program is now in its 12th year and has collected more than 2 million books for pediatric patients, community centers, special schools and many more children in need.
Why donate a book?
Studies by the Institute of Education Sciences and related research show significant correlations between children’s access to printed materials in the home and literacy, as well as performance in school. Unfortunately, when money is tight, buying books can’t always be a priority for families struggling to make ends meet. Half Price Books feels that every child deserves a book of their own and is hosting the book drive to benefit local children who may otherwise not have access to books. Simply donating books that a child has outgrown provides the tools to create the leaders of tomorrow.
How does the annual Half Pint Library Book Drive work?
From February 15 through March 31, all Half Price Books locations serve as “drop off” sites to collect new and used young children’s books. Half Price Books employees then sort through the books to make sure that children will receive only quality new and gently-used books. The “Giveaway” events will be scheduled shortly after the conclusion of the drive, and Half Price Books will invite local nonprofit groups to come pick up the books.
How will the “Giveaway” event work?
Once a date and venue are set, local agencies and media will be contacted to announce that FREE children’s books donated by the community will be available for pick up during the event time, which will likely be a 2 to 3 hour window. Agencies must arrive with their own transportation to pick up books, and depending on the number of books collected, and number of agencies coming for pick up, boxes may be limited. The books will be an assortment of kid’s books in manageable boxes ready to be loaded. Agencies will not be able to sift through the boxes to “pick and choose.” The giveaway events will likely be in April or May, with dates and venues to be determined.
Delete Censorship
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press include your right to knowledge and the expression of ideas. Support the imaginative and courageous authors of all books, including those that open our eyes to controversial topics. Exercise your First Amendment rights by reading a banned or challenged book. Encourage others to build libraries, not bonfires.
Half Price Books developed the Delete Censorship website, which is designed to celebrate U.S. First Amendment rights, to draw attention to existing censorship issues. The website officially launched in conjunction with Banned Books Awareness Week 2006 and was created to celebrate literature of all kinds and to continue to ensure that ideas remain accessible to all who want them.
Observed since 1982, Banned Books Awareness Week provides an opportunity for all American citizens, including readers, authors, aspiring writers, journalists and advocates of First Amendment rights, to focus on issues of intellectual freedom as they affect the community, local public libraries, the country and generations of youth to come.
Educator Discount
As part of our commitment to literacy, Half Price Books supports educators, school teachers and librarians in the community. Shop HPB for a great selection of children's books and educational materials. And best of all, it fits your budget. While you're in the store, apply for your own Educator's Discount Card to save 10% all year round! It's simple to apply and easy to save. Our gift to you. Stock up for your classroom and get something for yourself. Either way, you'll save just because we appreciate what you do as an educator in the community. If you don't have a Teacher and Librarian Discount Card, apply for one today and save 10% on all your purchases at Half Price Books year-round. It's simple to apply and easy to save. And remember, your P.O. money goes twice as far at Half Price Books, where almost everything is half price or less every day.
Current Card Holders
Each fall, remember to renew your discount card to keep saving 10% on your purchases at Half Price Books. Renew your old discount card at your neighborhood Half Price Books. Just bring in valid ID and proof of current employment such as a pay stub or employee ID card.
Qualifications and Restrictions
The teacher/librarian discount will be offered to teachers or librarians who are able to present current identification (a pay stub or ID card) that verifies their status as a public or private school teacher (including college/university teaching assistants) or a school or city librarian. Homeschoolers should provide verification from their state or local homeschooling organization where applicable. Day care providers and private specialty instructors do not qualify for the discount. Card must be renewed annually.
A Note on Privacy
When you apply for a Teacher and Librarian Discount Card, you will be added to the Half Price Books mailing list to receive other special discounts, sale announcements and more. The personal information you provide on your application is confidential and will not be sold, rented or disclosed to a third party for commercial purposes. Please read our complete privacy policy for more details.
The Environment
Helping the environment by preserving and recycling resources is part of our daily business. At Half Price Books we feel that everyone can help preserve the environment. Trees recycle water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. This helps to reduce soil erosion, air pollution and flooding. Recycling paper also helps the environment by saving energy and water, as less energy and water is used by reprocessing already processed paper, rather than virgin pulp.
World consumption of paper has grown 400% in the last 40 years. And 35% of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries on every continent. Tree farms provide 16% of all wood used in the paper industry, while the bulk comes from second growth forests. However, 9% of paper still comes from old growth.
Although more trees are being planted than cut down, the trees planted in tree farms cannot provide the plant diversity and animal habitat found in natural forests. Harvard biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner E.O. Wilson estimated that plantations contain 90-95% fewer species than the forest that preceded it. Paper recycling is one way to help reduce the industry pressure to convert our remaining natural forests into tree farms and protect wildlife habitats.
Half Price Books does its part each day to help reduce the demand for pulpwood. And consequently, this reduces the number of natural ecologically-complex forests being destroyed, as well as reduces the amount of energy and water consumed to produce paper (between 28-70%). In addition, by reusing, recycling, and reselling resources, Half Price Books helps keep books out of landfills. And our stores actively participate in Earth Day each spring. HPB co-founder Ken Gjemre was quoted saying, "Books should fill our lives, not our land."
Things we believe no one should waste: paper, knowledge, trees, words, time, and money. Half Price Books is the book recycler. We buy books you've already enjoyed. So if you have more books than shelves, bring yours to us today. We pay the most for recent best sellers and collectibles. But we're also interested in your children's books, mysteries, music, movies and games. We donate all our overstock inventory to nonprofit agencies around the world.
So let's work together and help save our Mother Earth. When you visit Half Price Books, you'll save trees, books, and of course, money. We are committed to the community and preserving our environment. We operate every day based on the convictions of our founders to waste not and read a lot. We like to think that every day is earth day at Half Price Books.
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