Donating Books in Madrid: Where and How

If you want to donate books in Madrid, you have four clear routes: charities such as Fundación Melior or Cáritas, the Waki app to give them away or swap them with neighbours, charity bookshops (librerías solidarias) and, for textbooks, your school's book bank. Below is the list with address, phone and what each place accepts, checked on 4 November 2026. And if you're left with loose children's books, comics or novels that don't fit any list, we also explain what to do with them.

Where to donate used books in Madrid: the verified list (November 2026)

Fundación Melior is the easiest option if you have a lot of books. According to its website, it collects books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl at its premises on Calle Padre Rubio, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00. If you have more than 12 boxes, they can pick them up from your home. Call 91 323 96 11 to arrange it.

Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid (the Catholic charity's Madrid branch) has its head office at Calle Santa Hortensia 1B (91 548 95 80). What it collects changes by parish and time of year. So the practical move is to call the head office and ask which nearby parish is taking books that month.

Waki is the option if you'd rather give away or swap your books without leaving home to post them. It's a free app: you take a photo of the book, post it, and whoever wants it messages you through the chat to meet up. Further down we explain why it works so well for loose books.

For charity bookshops, the Portal del Lector (the Comunidad de Madrid's reading portal) has an official bookshop directory with a specific filter for them, listing shops such as AIDA Books&More. Filter by your area and pick the most convenient one.

One tip for all of them: call or write before hauling the boxes over. Each organisation decides what it accepts, in what condition and how often it collects. A ten-minute call saves you a wasted trip with twenty kilos of paper.

Textbooks: check your school's book bank first

If your children attend a public or state-funded (concertado) school in the Comunidad de Madrid, it probably takes part in Programa Accede. This is the region's textbook lending scheme, and according to its website it moves close to 800,000 volumes between school book banks.

Before donating textbooks anywhere else, ask at the school office. That's where they're most needed and where they're most likely to get a second life the following year. Textbooks also lose their usefulness fast once a new edition comes out.

If the school doesn't take part or the books no longer fit any year, you have two options. Fundación Melior accepts textbooks under 4 years old. And the Banco Solidario de Mensajeros de la Paz, at Ribera de Curtidores 2 (91 364 51 12), hands out textbooks and school supplies to families in need: call to check whether they're collecting at the moment.

Children's books, comics or anything that fits no list

This is the gap almost no list covers. Charities and charity bookshops often ask for good condition or complete sets. A single picture book, three issues of a comic or the novel you read last summer often end up with nowhere obvious to go.

If you'd rather a neighbour took them directly, we recommend Waki. It's free: you take a photo of the book, post it from the app, and whoever wants it messages you through the chat to meet up. There's no money involved, so no haggling or price offers either. And since Madrid is where Waki has the most activity, chances are someone nearby is looking for exactly that children's book or that volume you can't place.

Es un medio ideal para conectar donantes con necesitados y viceversa (translation: It's an ideal way to connect donors with people in need and vice versa)

If it's your first time, How to Get Started with Waki walks you through posting your first item. And if you have more than books to clear out, see where to donate what you no longer use.

Other questions about donating and returning books in Madrid

Where can I donate used books? At Fundación Melior, the Cáritas parishes collecting that month, the charity bookshops in the Portal del Lector directory and, for textbooks, your school's book bank. You can also ask your local library whether they'd like any. If you want to know why it's worth it, read The Impact of Donating and 5 Ways Donating Your Used Books Helps the Environment.

What can I donate to Cáritas? It varies by parish and campaign. The most reliable step is to call the head office (91 548 95 80) or ask at your parish before bringing anything.

What happens if I don't return a library book in Madrid? There's no fine. According to the Portal del Lector, a late return suspends your borrowing for as many days as the book was overdue. And on 24 October 2025, for Library Day, Madrid's libraries held a day to return overdue books with no penalty, the Pasamos página initiative.

Where do I start? Textbooks go to the school. Boxes of books in good condition go to Fundación Melior or Cáritas, after a call. The loose ones nobody collects go to a neighbour through Waki. And if you're looking to receive rather than give, see How to Get Free Things in Madrid.