We have Clothes Banks. What about Book Banks ???

OK . I buy 90% of my books from car boot sales, so most are already recycled. However what happens to all the books left unsold at the car boot sales. I'm guessing many kind people take them to charity shops, but that many also end up in the recycling bin, (often getting soggy or mucky) or heaven forbid landfill! Therefore why can't we have "Book Banks" in the same way as we have "Clothes Banks" ???

It occurred to me, just recently, we have many clothes banks in the UK and many of these are owned by charities like Oxfam. After the clothes are sorted, some go to the charity shops, some are baled and shipped to less well off countries, and the remainder are , I believe, recycled as wadding for furniture etc .

Why can't we do the same for books?? As I said in my last blog, many children are acquiring a vast number of books, particularly following the promotion of the importance of books and reading. However when they outgrow them, often with very little wear, where will most of them go ?? Also,I'm sure many grandparents, like myself, keep a selection of books and toys for when we babysit, or when the grandchildren come to visit. In my case I need to cater for grandchildren from 6 months to 9 years, and below is just a few of my collection, all obtained for an average of 50p, and all needing to be recycled in the best way possible in the future!!

Apart from being heavier, and an unwarranted expectation that everyone should speak English, is there any reason why books can't be banked and sorted in a similar way to clothes?? For example books can be put in book banks with some going to charity shops, some going overseas, and the remainder pulped for recycling. Some books could possibly even be give to food banks, and distributed to families, who may not have a lot.

I appreciate that, as with clothes, books may have to be sold for a few pence overseas to cover the cost of shipping, and wages for people sorting and selling, but this too could happen with books . Unless some kind philanthropist decide to foot the bill???, so that the books could be given straight to the schools, who mostly have so very little in comparison to our schools.

Quick tip.
I was lucky enough to holiday in Gambia a few years ago. At the time I was working in a charitable institution who had a jumble sale. At the end of the sale there were no end of clothes left, particularly children's, and including many hardly worn shorts and t shirts etc. I made up 3 carrier bags of clothing , one for my case, one for my friends case, and one for my husbands. The only slight problem came with being a little more selective in order to reduce our own personal items and clothing, to make room.
I was hoping to find a worthy recipient and I wasn't disappointed, our taxi driver, it turned out, was a village elder, and you would seldom meet a more kind and dignified person. From what we learned his wages may well have supported the whole village, so the clothes went to a very good home.
There must be many similar less well off countries who would appreciate a similar gesture.