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What to do with all those no-longer-needed programming books I no longer need and are just collecting dust ? Some of the books are 15+ years old while others are less than a year old.

I could donate them to my local library. Maybe I could sell them on ebay? Any other suggestions ?

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Dani AI

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A quick, practical plan for dealing with a mixed pile of programming books: first triage them. Make four piles — keep, give to learners/teams, research for value, and recycle/dispose. Keep titles you reach for regularly, ones that cover timeless concepts (algorithms, OS design, language fundamentals), or books with strong reference value. Set aside multiple copies, obsolete language-specific manuals, or heavily annotated volumes for other options.

For books that might have resale or collector value, make a short inventory: title, author, ISBN, edition, print year, binding, condition, and any unique notes (signed, first printing, publisher quirks). That info is what collectors and specialty buyers look for; it also makes online or community listings much faster. Look up ISBNs to compare recent sale prices before fixing expectations — older editions can be either worthless or surprisingly sought-after depending on rarity.

If the goal is quick reuse, target local technical audiences instead of broad marketplaces: campus CS bulletin boards, meetup/hackerspace notice boards, coding bootcamps, or instructor groups for study circles. Prepare decent photos (spine + key pages), give honest condition notes (loose pages, highlighting, spine cracks), and bundle related books into themed lots (e.g., "C/C++ classics" or "Web dev fundamentals") to increase appeal. Offer local pickup to avoid shipping hassles.

When nothing else fits, recycle responsibly — remove plastic covers, DVDs, and electronic inserts if required by local programs. Shredded pages can be repurposed for packing or crafts if recycling isn't available. Be careful about scanning and distributing copyrighted text; sharing short excerpts for teaching is usually fine, but full scans without permission can breach copyright. Mentioning the age range you gave (15+ years) helps prioritize which pile each title should land in, and preparing that simple inventory makes any next step much easier.

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Member Avatar for twomers

Burn for cheap heating? I haven't been programming that long and only have... well no books...
Generic presents to people you don't like.

Member Avatar for Narue

>Any other suggestions ?
Can you send me a list of them? I collect programming books, so I may buy some of them off of you.

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