Let’s fill our libraries with personal finance books! #donateindependence

Libraries. Does anyone not like libraries?

They often are in beautiful buildings with some trees around them and generally they inspire us as a source of knowledge and peaceful power.

My toddler loves our local library and we regularly go there. The children’s section is magnificent! Recently refurbished to include secret seatings, kids tables and animal cutouts on the walls, it is a pleasure to go there.

Reading helps children and adults, well, get better at reading, it improves their concentration and imagination, and it helps them understand the world around them and develop empathy. In other words, reading is just really good!

One day I walked into our library and after borrowing a few children’s books I decided to check out the personal finance section. I couldn’t find it, so I asked a librarian who pointed me to a small shelf in a corner. There were only 3 short rows of books on the shelves – most books where on how to get a job, the rest on insignificant topics vaguely related to personal finance. 

To say I was underwhelmed is an understatement. I live in an well-off, middle class suburb of London. So…

Why are there no decent personal finance book available at my local library?

At home I started researching what books people borrow most from libraries – Harry Potter is the clear winner followed by more children’s books, and crime and romance novels to read on busy commuter trains when your mind is tired or on holiday beaches.

I couldn’t believe it – is this all people are reading? 

Turn to any bestselling book list (Amazon, New York Times – you name it) and you’ll find it doesn’t match your local library’s most borrowed list. 

There is a discrepancy between these two list types. There are books people like to own or gift, and of course it can be easier to buy a book online that take time out to go to the library.

But crucially, if a library doesn’t stock a specific book, you can’t borrow it. You have to get it elsewhere, you have to buy it.

This is kind of ok for adults, but children and young people may not have the money to buy a book that may interest them but is not a priority. This is where browsing at a library can lead you to discover life-changing gems.

So I went back to the library and asked if they accept donations and what their criteria are for donated books. Libraries are easy targets of government budget cuts, and by donating my books I can positively and directly influence my local community.

It turns out they do take donations, and the donated books only need to meet two criteria:

1. The books need to be in a decent state, and
2. They should not be too obscure.

Is Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) too obscure for local libraries?

I have taken a decision – I want to fill my local library with books on FIRE, personal finance, autobiographies of important people in the finance arena, old and new ones, by female and male authors, British and American and from all countries in the world, in English (for now at least).

So far this month I have donated 11 books, and I will continue donating books that I have read and respect. Some will be my own copy that I willing to part with. Some others I know I want to keep so I’ll buy a new copy and donate it to my local library. Maybe I can convince FIRE authors to donate some books too so we can fill all of our local libraries quicker 🙂

I encourage all of you, my dear readers, to do the same and make a difference at a local level.

Let’s fill our libraries with personal finance books! #donateindependence

Share this idea with all your friends by sharing this post on Facebook, retweeting it, telling your friends and using any other medium you like that will help us get more useful books in all our libraries.

This is the list of books (in alphabetical order) that I have donated so far. I will update it regularly, so come back and check for inspiration for your reading list and your donation list 🙂

My donations

Total number of books I donated: 17

List of money-related books I donated to my local library (in alphabetical order):

1. Crunch time, by Mrs Moneypenny
2. Financial advice for independent women, by Mrs Moneypenny
3. How to win friends and influence people, by Dale Carnegie
4. Lean in, by Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook)
5. Martin Lukes: who moved my BlackBerry, by Lucy Kellaway (Financial Times columnist)
6. Mindless eating, by Brian Wansink PhD
7. On becoming fearless, by Arianna Huffington
8. Quit like a millionaire, by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung
9. RESET, by David Sawyers
10. Secrets of six figure women, by Barbara Stanny
11. Snowball, by Warren Buffett
12. The 4 Hour Week, by Tim Ferris
13. The million dollar blog, by Natasha Courtenay-Smith
14. The millionaire next door, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
15. The power of many, by Meg Whitman
16. The richest man in Babylon, by George Clason
17. The simple path to wealth, by JL Collins
18. Work Optional, by Tanja Hester
19. You’re not broke, you’re pre-rich, by Emilie Bellet
20. Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicky Robins

Disclosure: the links in this list are affiliate links which help me earn some money to keep donating books.

I will update this list regularly – come back and check it out again for inspiration.

Have you donated any books to your local library? Tell us in the comments, and also tell us if you have any book suggestions. Thank you!