Easiest way to donate books to soldiers?

April 13, 2007 11:01 PM

Is there a super-simple way to donate a bunch of books to soldiers serving overseas?

I'd like to thin out my book collection - mostly what passes for general literature (as opposed to genre novels).

The recent Henry Rollins post mentioned AnySoldier, which doesn't seem to handle books; BooksForSoldiers seems to be a request-based community site.

I'd just like an address to which I can send a box of books to some people who've recently become voracious readers, instead of putting that box in the alley with the trash.

posted by unmake to grab bag (11 answers total)

There's Operation Paperback, although they have specific guidelines/requirements for the kinds of books and would want you to put labels on the covers.
posted by Many bubbles at 11:12 PM on April 13, 2007

(And here are some other charities that want books, if there are books that don't fit the requirements.)
posted by Many bubbles at 11:17 PM on April 13, 2007

The following address will get books to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan. I just got back, and know first hand that good books were in short supply.

MWR NCOIC
CJSOTF-A
Unit-3E
APO AE 09354
posted by rentalkarma at 11:17 PM on April 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

That's fantastic rentalkarma! Anyone know of a similar address for the troops in Iraq? Also, are DVDs and CDs useful? How about CDs of mp3s? Would there be a way to get the songs onto the soldiers' ipods?
posted by Optamystic at 11:46 PM on April 13, 2007

Meaning, of course, do the soldiers have regular access to computers that would allow them to load music onto their ipods.
posted by Optamystic at 11:48 PM on April 13, 2007

Soldiers (and Marines, Sailors, and Airmen) <3 them some dvds, cds are subject to musical tastes.br>
Many troops have their own computers, and if they do, they'll be able to do all the stuff you're asking about, regardless of location.

Also consider Books for Soldiers, I got a few books through them and really appreciated it. And besides, those Spec Ops guys get all the goodies anyways, and some of them don't like to share. Toss a few bones to conventional forces.
posted by kavasa at 4:04 AM on April 14, 2007

Boxed books for soldiers serving in Iraq may be sent to the attention of:

Lt. Col. Jan Horvath
Headquarters COIN CFE
Camp Taji, Iraq
APO AE 09378
posted by enrevanche at 5:58 AM on April 14, 2007

rentalkarma, could you explain a little more about what the address you gave is? What would be appropriate to mail to it? Is it opened by some central office? How are things distributed?
posted by odinsdream at 9:46 AM on April 14, 2007

The address I gave will not be opened by the thought police or anything. The post office will get it to the camp, and the mail guy will give it to the MWR NCOIC (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge.) That person will put the books in the MWR hut for everyone's enjoyment, or distribute them out to soldiers at the firebases and whatnot.

You can send anything but porn and alcohol, not that it wouldn't be appreciated. :-)
posted by rentalkarma at 10:16 AM on April 14, 2007

DVDs are also welcome, of course, as would the MP3s. Ipods are extremely popular over there. I wouldn't have survived without mine.
posted by rentalkarma at 5:54 PM on April 14, 2007

enrevanche, could you give more info about the address you posted, too? Thanks.
posted by mediareport at 8:15 PM on April 14, 2007