Empty that shelf. Send one message and we'll handle the rest.
Every book you give goes to refugee and newcomer families through our partner, CIWA. There are no public drop boxes - every donation is arranged directly with us, which is how we make sure not a single book gets rained on or lost.
However many books you've got
All three start the same way: message us, and we'll come back to you within a day with a time.
A bag or a box
Up to about 25 books. Message us and we'll send you our address in Calgary and a time that works - usually an evening or a weekend afternoon. You hand them over at the door and you're done.
25 books or more
Don't carry those anywhere. We'll drive to you, anywhere in Calgary, with a parent at the wheel and boxes in the trunk. Give us a few days' notice and pick a window.
A whole cleanout
A daycare closing, a library weeding its shelves, a house being cleared, a kids' room being redone. These are the donations that move this campaign in one afternoon. Tell us roughly how many and when.
What we can and can't use
Sorting is the slowest part of the drive, so this list saves real hours. When in doubt, bring it - we'd rather check than miss a good book.
Yes, please
- Children's books in languages other than English - Arabic, Ukrainian, Dari, Pashto, Tigrinya, Spanish, Somali and more. Our single biggest need.
- Dual-language books - the same story in English and another language, so parents and kids can read together.
- Board books & picture books - ages 0–6, especially ones with simple English.
- Picture dictionaries and first-words books - useful to a whole family learning English.
- Early readers & chapter books - ages 5–9.
- Middle-grade, YA novels and graphic novels - ages 9–17.
- Educational and activity books - atlases, science, how-to-draw, puzzle books with unused pages.
A child's name written inside the cover is fine - send it anyway. Kids like knowing a book had a life before them.
Sorry, no
- Adult fiction and non-fiction. The books we send are for kids.
- Textbooks, encyclopedias, test-prep books more than a few years old.
- Magazines, catalogues, colouring books that have been coloured in.
- Books with content that could upset kids who've been through a lot - graphic war or violence. When in doubt, tell us and we'll check.
- Anything mouldy, damp, or smoke-damaged. The smell transfers to every book in the box.
- Books missing covers or with big chunks of pages gone.
- Anything left at our door unannounced. Please message first - we can't take responsibility for books we didn't know were coming.
The 30-second test
Open the book. Would you be happy handing it to a seven-year-old as their first book in a new country? If yes, we want it. If you would feel the need to apologise for its condition first, it will not survive sorting.
A donation, start to finish
Four steps, and a person on the other end of every one of them.
A note on how we do handovers. Second Chapters is run by a 15-year-old, so drop-offs happen at our home with a parent present, and pickups are driven by a parent. We share the address once we've agreed on a time - not on a public web page. If you'd rather meet somewhere public, say so and we'll pick a library or community centre.
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Step 1 - you
Message us
The form below, or just an email. Roughly how many books, what ages, any languages, and which part of Calgary you're in.
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Step 2 - within a day
We pick a time
We reply with the address and a couple of time windows, or offer to come to you if it's a big load.
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Step 3 - the handover
Books change hands
Two minutes at a door. You don't need to sort, label or clean anything first.
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Step 4 - after
They go to families through CIWA
Once your books are sorted and handed to CIWA, we'll email you how many made it into a bundle. Ask us any time.
Tell us what you've got
Every donation, big or small, starts with this form. We answer every message, usually the same evening.
- One book counts. Especially if it's in a language other than English.
- 25+ books and we come to you - anywhere in Calgary, boxes included.
- Hundreds of books? Give us a week's notice and we'll bring a bigger car and a plan.
- Not in Calgary? Email us anyway. We can't drive far, but we can point you at someone closer who can use them.
Arrange a donation
We reply within a day - usually the same evening.
Donation questions
Can I just drop books off without messaging first?
Please don't. It is a family home rather than a depot: books left outside get rained on, and nobody knows they are there. One message is all it takes, and we reply within a day.
Can I bring books straight to CIWA instead?
Please don't drop books at CIWA's office - they're running programs, not collecting donations. We handle the collecting, checking and sorting so their staff don't have to, and deliver ready-to-use bundles.
Where exactly do I bring them?
We send the address once we've agreed on a time. It's a residential address in Calgary and there's always a parent home for handovers. If you'd rather not come to a house, we'll happily meet at a library or community centre instead - just say so in your message.
Do I need to sort or clean the books first?
No. Pull out anything obviously ruined and leave the rest to us - sorting is the job. A quick wipe of dusty covers is appreciated but never required.
Do you take books for adults learning English?
Not right now - we focus on children's and teen books. Picture dictionaries and first-words books are the exception, because the whole family uses them.
Do you take money instead?
No. We don't fundraise and we don't accept cash. Boxes come from grocery stores, the car is a family car, and sorting happens at a kitchen table. Books are the only thing we need.
Can my school or workplace collect books for you?
If your school or office wants to gather books internally and hand over one big load, that's brilliant - get in touch and we'll arrange the pickup. What we can't do right now is supply or empty collection boxes around the city; it's one student and one car, and we'd rather do a small thing reliably than a big thing badly.