[Genealib] How to sell duplicate library books?

[Barbara Hill]

Dear List,

My genealogical society library is looking for ideas for selling duplicate 
or de-accessioned library books.  The Library Committee thinks we should 
give away the low-value or most common books for the cost of postage, by 
using this list, but what about works we think have some monetary 
value?  We'd really like to get paid for those.  We also sometimes get 
donated books we can't use, so it is an ongoing issue.

Here's the thing.  I'm not sure we have anyone on the volunteer staff who 
is "E-Bay literate," and I'm also not sure that's the right venue for used 
books anyway.  Our library doesn't get a lot of foot traffic, and most 
people who come in don't bother to look at the books for sale.  Volunteers 
are tired of boxing up the books to take to sell at general membership 
meetings.  We also have space limitations, so we can't keep them around 
indefinitely.

In the past, we tried an exchange arrangement with another society, but 
they unfortunately did not have anything to offer us that we didn't already 
own.

One suggestion has been to post a list of books for sale on the website; 
however, more than one volunteer might be needed, one to handle the sales 
and mailing, another to keep the listings up-to-date.  The Library 
Committee thinks it would be a LOT of work and would be difficult to 
coordinate and keep current.

What other ways can we make our unwanted books available to the right 
market?  Any solutions out there?

Thanks, everyone - this list is the greatest!

Barbara Hill
<bhill at calmail.berkeley.edu>