APBP relies on book donations—we wouldn’t exist without them. Donate books you no longer need to us, or purchase a much-needed item from our Wish List.
We are very thankful for the many donations we receive, but we are limited both by space and by the restrictions of the prisons to which we send. Before you send us books, please read these guidelines.
Book Donation Guidelines
APBP accepts donations of new and used paperback books.
Books We Need
We can always use paperback dictionaries. We can usually also accept these types of books:
- Foreign language learning materials (Spanish, French, Russian, German, American Sign Language, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, etc.)
- Law dictionaries
- Westerns
- GED preparation guides
- How-to books (art, music, crafts, yoga, exercise, construction, plumbing, etc.)
- Wiccan books
- Popular fiction (spy, mystery, fantasy, urban, etc.)
- Educational books (business, finance, writing, etc.)
Books We Do Not Need
At this time, we do not need the following books:
- Hardcover books
- General fiction
- Classic literature
- Magazines or pamphlets
- Romance books
- Old textbooks
- Books in very poor condition (badly stained books, books with markings in the text, etc.)
Not sure if the books you would like to donate are a good match? Please contact us.
Sending Books By Mail
You may mail books to our post office box using regular postal service (UPS will not deliver to our PO box). Please limit the donation to no more than two medium-size boxes.
Our mailing address:
Appalachian Prison Book Project
PO Box 601
Morgantown, WV 26507
Making Donations in Person
You may drop books off in our work space in the Aull Center, on the second floor, when the Aull Center is open. Do not leave books on the porch. The Morgantown Public Library has graciously donated a space to us, and that was one of their few requests. Please respect those wishes.
Special Requests and Our Wish List
APBP gets a steady stream of requests for particular books that are rarely donated. Check out our Wish List to purchase and donate one of these books. There are two ways you can order: Pinocchio’s Books in Morgantown or Amazon.
Pinocchio’s Books and Toys
Jeanne at Pinocchio’s Books and Toys at 322 High Street can help you order from the Wish List. Visit the store or call Jeanne at 304-296-2332 to review the list and order.
Amazon Wish List
Order from our Amazon Wish List. The books marked Highest and High priority are the ones we get the most requests for, but we could use more than one copy of all of these.
Send books from Amazon to the gift registry address. Because Amazon will not deliver to APBP’s post office box, your order will be mailed to our special request coordinator, Dennis Allen, who personally guarantees that each special request is sent out to the person who requested it as soon as it is received.