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Donating statistics books

  • 1.  Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-24-2018 15:03
    I am wondering where I can donate some statistics books from my personal library? Is there an inexpensive way to do this?

    Thanks for the ideas!

    Sent from my iPhone


  • 2.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-24-2018 15:23
    I hate to throw some cold water on your idea, but I'm finding out--no one wants books anymore. I've just sent the bulk of my French literature collection to Goodwill because neither profs nor students want them. I'm about to take a hard look at my stats books next, but I fear a similar fate. Now if it is a book that might shed some light to the layperson, I would highly encourage you to donate it to the nearest Little Free Library in the hopes that it will spread statistical enlightenment where it might not otherwise be found. But I suspect you are referring to more technical volumes. In fact a mentor of mine was telling me she had a hard time finding a suitable home for her stats books. Wish you good luck, and a good home for the books!

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    Kay Endriss
    Statistics Instructor
    Career Center
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-25-2018 15:46
    The lack of interest in textbooks is odd to me because I spent most of my career lamenting the lack of books at the office.  Not too long ago, I got permission to purchase books to form a small library for a small group of statisticians that I ran, and now retired, I have recently built up my own library, filling up space for that.  

    As more information has been made available on the internet, I saw the number of resource librarians dwindle over the years.  In some cases, even with JSTOR, that can make it harder to obtain certain information.  Overall there may be better access, but not always.  I guess it isn't just the kids who want everything electronically now, and short articles, not reference books, but I wonder if that isn't another sign of society running more towards the superficial multitasking mentality that gives us quick, disjoint, transient solutions and leaves thoughtful, in-depth analyses behind. 

    Just saying.  

    Jim Knaub 





    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-26-2018 15:05
    I have donated books through BetterWorldBooks.com, they have even paid for shipping.  you might want to try there.

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    Francine Mandel
    Sr Principal Statistician
    PRA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-26-2018 15:02
    I suggest you post a list of titles and authors to this group.  Some of us might want some of them.

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    Emil M Friedman, PhD
    emilfriedman@gmail.com
    http://www.statisticalconsulting.org
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-26-2018 16:48
    I agree with posting a list. I love hoarding textbooks!

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    Douglas Landsittel
    Professor of Biomedical Informatics
    University of Pittsburgh
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-26-2018 19:37
    Try the local library. Even if they don't have the space, they may know who would be interested so the books don't go to the dump. I wish I could get back many of the books I returned to the college bookstores years ago.

    Also, try local public schools, especially in low income areas, as they can usually benefit from any books. For example Reading Senior High School honors statistics students are functioning off of textbooks over 10 years old that are mostly warn out at this point and refer to concepts  popular in the 1980's in most of the data sets - in other words not very relatable to students. Books for just about any subject can often find someone that wants them in low income areas.   In the 3 Philadelphia high schools I worked in students didn't bring books home because there aren't any to lend out. A teacher was lucky to have enough for one classroom set. Most students didn't have internet access either so this simply meant that all their work needed to be done in class or a lot of time was spent copying problems by hand since there also wasn't copy paper (teachers buy their own and treat it like gold during the gold rush).  This was barely 5 years ago; I suspect little has changed. 


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    Flora Quevedo
    Math Teacher
    Reading High School
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-27-2018 17:04
    Hey Mark,

    A few years ago, I got a hold of a lot of the current Algebra and Chemistry textbooks after a chem faculty retired. I tried to donate them, many of which are instructor editions, to my local library. The head librarian informed me that they only accept donations of math and science books...... 

    I said they were algebra and chem books. But they refused. 


    Something that might be more fruitful would be to donate them to the math/stats department at your local university. A retiring prof did that at U of M Dearborn, then took a $2,000 tax credit on the donated books.

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    Andrew Ekstrom

    Statistician, Chemist, HPC Abuser;-)
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-30-2018 14:23
    Edited by Matthew Robinson 07-30-2018 14:23

    From my empirical experience, no one wants books now. If you walk down my hallway at work, most offices have large book shelf's with only a few books on them for nostalgic purposes only. Personally, I have two abacuses (Chinese, Japanese), two slide rules , RPN calculator, lunch box, box of tissues, a sweater, and some miscellaneous stuff where books historically would be.

    Currently, I think Wikipedia, YouTube; Google Searches are just superior to books in general for my needs and my colleagues needs and I believe most people would agree with me.

    This is not to say that books are not important. For example, I briefly was a contractor for the military and only had access to censored internet from my office. The censoring would censor all images including the math formulas on Wikipedia because they are images. Therefore, at that job I referenced many physical books so I could see the formulas!



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    Matthew Robinson
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-31-2018 16:52
    I still use some of my books from college and graduate school.

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    Emil M Friedman, PhD
    emilfriedman@gmail.com
    http://www.statisticalconsulting.org
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 08-03-2018 01:33
    TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
    KINDLY, WHAT IS THE ADDRESS IN USA TO SHIP THE BOOKS TO?
    I HAVE SOME TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCES THAT CAN BE STILL USEFUL.

    THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COOPRATION.. HAVE A NICEDAY.

    BEST RRGARDS,
    MOHAMMED A SHAYIB

    ------------------------------
    [Mohammed] [Shayib]
    [Associate Professor]
    LONE STAR COLLEGEyMohammed
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 08-06-2018 16:38
    What are the titles and authors?

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    Emil M Friedman, PhD
    emilfriedman@gmail.com
    http://www.statisticalconsulting.org
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-30-2018 14:36

     I'll be glad to take some of those books off your hands.

    Brian Cocolicchio



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    Brian Cocolicchio
    Rochester Institute of Technology
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 07-31-2018 18:02
    Hi Mark,

    I am absolutely interested in taking these off your hands. Would you mind posting a list of titles? Thank you very much.

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    Jonathan Mejia
    NYU
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Donating statistics books

    Posted 08-09-2018 02:48

    Hi Mark, 

    Thank you for being so generous. 

    I don't know if you already gave them all away but I am very much interested. 
    Do you have the ET Jaynes book: the probability of science in the giveaway collection? 
    Interested!

    I'm willing to pay for the shipping to <g class="gr_ gr_171 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="171" data-gr-id="171">europe</g> for a couple of books 

    have a nice day, 

    Donald



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    Donald Van Marcke
    KU Leuven
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    Original Message


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