Who might appreciate all these quality mags?

August 20, 2008 3:26 PM

Where can I donate 4 years' worth of Harper's & New Yorkers, in London?

I'm having to leave the UK in a couple of weeks and am trying to liquidate all that I've accumulated during 4 years here. And I'd hate to just dump all of these magazines - a basically unbroken collection of Harper's, some with wear & tear due to beach reading etc., and quite a few New Yorkers. Also a bunch of glossy architecture mags, but somehow I'm not so sentimental about those.
Does anybody know of a school or organisation that could make use of them? Perhaps some sort of American Studies program or club (I mean, what better way to understand the true soul of America than through the musings of Lewis Lapham)?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I can deliver them.

posted by Flashman to Education (11 answers total)

Best answer: freecycle might be a place to start
posted by ascullion at 3:36 PM on August 20, 2008

try talk.uk-yankee.net - the website of us expatriates in the uk.
posted by By The Grace of God at 3:40 PM on August 20, 2008

Any good library in the UK would probably take them.
posted by gadha at 3:42 PM on August 20, 2008

If anyone knows of a similar place in Chicago, do tell. I have piles of them both and hate to see them go to the dump if someone else can read them
posted by timsteil at 3:49 PM on August 20, 2008

Can you not leave them out on the street in front of your dwelling and wait for them to be picked up by someone who wants them? That's what we do in the city that Harold Ross built.
posted by staggernation at 3:57 PM on August 20, 2008

Ask the London Libraries! Here's their contact form.
posted by mdonley at 4:24 PM on August 20, 2008

If a library won't have the magazines and you're comfortable allowing someone to cannibalize them, I'd suggest looking for a local art class. My high school art teacher was always happy to take stacks of magazines to be used in collages and various creative projects. The text might go to waste, but I'm sure someone would love to chop up and remix the pretty pictures. In fact, the glossy architecture mags might be an even better match.
posted by ecmendenhall at 4:30 PM on August 20, 2008

Best answer: Another vote for freecycle
posted by Mephisto at 11:19 PM on August 20, 2008

Goldsmiths College? A friend of mine is doing his PhD there on American literary magazines, I expect he'd love to get his hands on them.
posted by featherboa at 4:14 AM on August 21, 2008

Response by poster: I was thinking, Freecycle, what the hell is that? Do people actually pay attention to sites like that? But I went looking, found my nearest group in Camden, and although it took pretty much all day for some moderator to approve my ad, it finally went up at 7.20 and by 7.46 I'd received this response:

Hi there,
I would very much like to take these! I live very near to Mornington Crescent station on Oakley Square (Eversholt St side) and it would be fantastic if you could deliver them as I don't have transport. I'm working from home at the moment so let me know when is good for you and I should be free.
Hope I've got in quick enough!

And now I'm inspired to offer a bunch more stuff on there rather than just leave it on the kerb.
Thanks very much. You all offered good answers, but I have to say, one of you very quickly offered the best answer, and then it was the second affirmation that convinced me to give it a try.
posted by Flashman at 1:09 PM on August 21, 2008

happy to help. i've found freecycle to be a really useful resource, and it's amazing how many people use it.
posted by ascullion at 1:37 PM on August 23, 2008