Volunteer
As an Operation Paperback volunteer, you collect used paperbacks and ship them directly to members of the United States Armed Forces. Follow the 7 Steps below (also see our volunteer checklist).
Step 1 - Register as a Volunteer
You will receive a welcome letter via email that details our rules and procedures. Click Here for Our Online Volunteer Registration Form
Step 2 - Collect
Troops have requested the following genres: action, bestsellers, biographies and memoirs, fantasy, history, horror, mysteries, science-fiction, true crime.
Do not send romances unless specifically requested by the individual! Our troops have received a disproportionate amount of this genre.
Be sure that the books you collect are in very good condition. Do not send books with loose, brittle, or missing pages, stains or water damage. Do not send books without front covers - these are called "stripped" books. Stripped books are paperbacks that were reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher. Neither the author nor the publisher receives any payment for a stripped book, and such books are considered stolen property.
Department of Defense policy prohibits the distribution of materials that are: sexually-oriented or racist. In addition, volunteers cannot send large shipments of religious materials, though religious materials (ex. a single holy book) can be shipped if requested by an individual.
Step 3 - Sort
All books going to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other predominantly Muslim countries must not show any female skin from the neck to the knees, either on the cover or anywhere inside the book. Do not send material critical of Islam (or any other religion for that matter).
We have non-Middle East addresses for books that do not conform to these standards.
Step 4 - Print and Label
Print Operation Paperback cover labels and apply one to the front cover of each book. We also have provided a standard letter to go into your box, though you are welcome to include a personal note.
Step 5 - Get Addresses
Operation Paperback maintains a secure database of troop addresses. Only registered volunteers may access our address list by emailing us.
We do not post military addresses on our web site. Nor do we share our addresses outside of our program. We have received explicit permission from these service members to send them books. Operation Paperback and its volunteers will never betray our troops' trust by passing servicemember information along to another group/person; no matter how well intentioned we think they are.
Step 6 - Pack
Pack your books into a sturdy box. Remember, your books will be bouncing their way to locations like Iraq and the Horn of Africa. As a general rule, please keep your boxes within reasonable size (dimensions under 12x12). Some locations can accept larger shipments of over 40 books per delivery. If so, we will denote that on the address list.
Note down how many books are going to each service member that you have selected. You will need this when reporting your shipment to us.
Make sure the return address on your shipping label includes your name, the words "Operation Paperback" and your own complete address. Due to increased security measures in Post Offices, packages that do not display complete return address information have been refused.
Step 7 - Ship & Report
Send the books "Media Mail" or "Parcel Post", which ever is cheaper. Sending it Priority will not get the box any faster to Iraq (or any other military installation overseas) and will cost you a lot. APO/FPO mail goes through the military mail system where packages are sent "space available" - media mail/first class/priority usually gets there at the same time.
The new Flat Rate boxes are great for non-book care-packages,
however they will not save you money when shipping paperback
books. Flat Rate boxes cost $8.95 per shipment. A medium
box of paperback books can be shipped via media mail for $4.00
- $6.00.
The Post Office requires that you fill out a customs form since your box is going overseas. Indicate the contents as "used books" and check off the "gift" box. If you are a frequent shipper, grab a few extra customs forms on your way out so you do not have to stand in line and try to address them at the post office.
Report your shipment to us when you get back home. We need to know who you shipped to and how many books you shipped to each location.
Donate Postage
You can also help by making a monetary donation directly to Operation Paperback. 100% of your donation goes to the postage cost from books given directly to the Bowers and Honeywell families. All donations are fully tax-deductible.
