It's going to be very difficult for anything that is paperback. If you want to see what their value is, you can go to Addall.com and check current prices.

My grandmother was an English professor, and she inherited some book collections - perhaps you could look for someone who teaches English who may appreciate them.

You might ask on the Reader's Paradise forum. A lot of good people there with extensive knowledge about such things.

We have a couple of heritage type sites here that have moved and reconstructed old houses, a 1 room schoolhouse, a hotel, and even shops from our area, furnished and decorated with antique items, many donated by local families. We also have a city history museum that contains many personal domestic and commercial items donated by local residents to be used in their exhibits.

Perhaps there is a regional historical society or similar nearby that would accept such a legacy?

You may want to consider some impoverished communities, even outside the U.S. I remember reading "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World." The author initiated an amazing movement to build schools around the world, as he discovered the tremendous need while on sabbatical from MS for a year. I'll never forget his story of visiting a small village school in Nepal. The people of the village had spent more than a year building the school themselves, stone by stone, as they got access to and accumulated materials. They were rightfully proud as they showed off the school to him. They took him to a locked cabinet, which stored the only two books they had been able to obtain. One was a Betty Crocker cookbook. The other was a Danielle Steele novel. There are many similar heartwrenching stories throughout his wonderful book. This is extending your work a bit, but another part of his book that astounded me was how little it cost to fund an entire village school in some countries. I wonder if your friend would be interested in doing something like this, which would be quite a legacy to leave behind....

"She is not looking to make money; she wants the books to stay as sets and to be appreciated. So the obvious solutions such as booksellers, public libraries, and even the US Dept of State annual book fair are not suitable."

It's of course easier to be pragmatic when the situation is not personal but here goes....your friend is trying to dictate from beyond the grave so to speak. She is asking that her possessions be disposed of in a way that requires you to meet two conditions that are probably not possible (they must be appreciated and must stay in a set). Agreeing to honor these stipulations will also entail a very arduous and most likely futile effort on your part. The reality is that deciding one's possessions must be handled in a certain very prescribed fashion after the owner is gone is a way to try to keep control in the face of the reality that after she is gone, the books become objects that must be disposed of.

So the goal actually becomes a choice: give books to people who want, need and will read them OR find a specified donor who will agree to certain conditions (books must stay as a set etc) that really don't have any meaning to anyone other than the deceased person who collected them.

And last but far from least, it is an entirely personal decision on YOUR part as to whether and how much time, effort and aggravation you feel you want to take on to try to honor this request which is not practical and likely to be unsuccessful. Aside from keeping books in sets, it's become increasingly more challenging to dispose of books in general other than the very wise and thoughtful options raised in this discussion. Sadly, as the generation raised on 'real' books passes on, all those volumes don't find nearly as many takers as perhaps once was the case.

RP, as a lifelong book lover I respectfully disagree with your characterization on several counts. Books are not just "things" to some of us - they are friends, introduced to us by loving friends and family and igniting in us a passion to share the love and joy they provide. I thought I would never find a home for my children's book collection until I found a camp leader who shared my passion for turning kids on to reading and books as part of their mission. He was thrilled at the idea of my bequest. I suggest Graywings at least make an attempt to find a similar soul - they do still exist. Why not do something like that for a friend. That's not control, that's a blessing. Perhaps you will not succeed, but no harm in trying.

I would keep the books in your home for now and make a good faith effort to find a book lover to take them in, but realize this may not happen.

Thank you all for the comments and ideas. I will post on the Reader's Paradise forum. RIP, I understand your perspective and don't disagree with it. Fortunately, searches and inquiries are easily made electronically. Bestyears, some part of her estate - I have no details - is going to a group of very good causes that she feels strongly about, including to support foreign refugee camps. My goal is to help her settle her mind, so I don't want to suggest any additions at this point.

"Settling her mind" is the point. Also note, once they leave your house, you have no control over what happens to them. So they ultimately may not stay as a set. ((( You are a dear friend to help her )))