Making a difference – one donated textbook at a time

Do you have old textbooks collecting dust? Why not donate them and breathe new life into your used post-secondary textbooks.

The McGill University Health Centre is a drop off point for Textbooks for Change. Donation boxes are located at the McConnell Resource Centre-Medical Library, Glen site (B.RC.0078) and the Medical Library at the Montreal General Hospital (E6-157). “Books that we don’t need in the medical library, but could still be of use to somebody else go in the drop box,” says Librarian Lindsay Hales. The MUHC is the first institution in Quebec to join the program. “Now, we are on the map too,” says Lindsay.

It starts with your donation 

The donation box at the MGH filled up quickly. Textbooks for Change will collect the books and find them new homes. Some are destined for libraries in east Africa, others are sold at discounted prices to students on local campuses while out-of-date or damaged textbooks are recycled. 

How it works 

Anyone can donate – even members of the public, but only textbooks published in the last 15 years are accepted.

“Donating used books to Textbooks for Change provides affordable access to educational materials to learners across the world,” says Caroline White, associate director Education Directorate. “This wonderful initiative undertaken by our knowledgeable and innovative MUHC library team will benefit learners and demonstrates support of education world-wide.” 

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle 

Repurposing donated textbooks reduces waste at the MUHC and has a beneficial impact on the environment. This clever initiative is a perfect example of adopting sustainable practices in our daily activities. 

For more information on the program, contact [email protected] or visit the Textbooks for Change website.