Your stories deserve
a second act.
We preserve San Diego's media legacy — books, vinyl, film, and more — by routing donated collections to libraries, schools, and community spaces across the county. No story left behind.
What we curate.
We accept four formats of physical media — the well-loved formats that still carry stories worth preserving. Two categories, however, we gently decline.
Books
Literature, non-fiction, children’s
Vinyl Records
LPs, 45s, 78s — all genres welcome
DVDs & Blu-ray
Cinema, documentaries, concert films
Compact Discs
Albums, singles, audiobooks
Gently Declined — Non-Curated
Encyclopedias
Magazines
From shelf to second act.
Digitize Your Intent
Tell us what you’re giving.
The San Diego Drop
Choose a drop-off or request pickup.
The Hand-Off
Confirm and we’ll take it from here.
Ship your media from anywhere.
Don't live in San Diego? You can still keep your collection in circulation. Box up your books, records, discs, or film and send them our way — we'll route every item to a local library, school, or community space that can give it a second act.
Start a Mail-In DonationChoose Mail-In
On the donation form, select "Mail-In" and tell us what you're sending and roughly how much.
We Reply With the Address
Once we confirm your donation, we'll email you our private mailing address along with packing tips — we never publish it publicly.
Ship & We Handle the Rest
Send your box, then track the journey. We photograph arrivals and share where your items land in the community.
Your privacy — and ours.We keep our mailing address private until we've spoken with you personally. That protects our volunteer space and makes sure every shipment is expected and matched to a real need.
Donors who let go.
Short quotes and stories from neighbors who trusted us with their collections.
“I inherited 200+ jazz LPs from my father. The Archive picked them up in a week and sent photos of them being shelved at the Logan Heights library. That closure meant everything to me.”
Mariella R.
North Park · donated 120 vinyl LPs
Where your media lands.
Every donated piece is catalogued, restored when needed, and routed to a partner institution where it finds readers, listeners, and viewers again.
“The vinyl collection from a retiring DJ in Hillcrest now spins weekly at our youth center.”
City Heights Teen Library
“Six boxes of Spanish-language books found new readers across three Barrio Logan classrooms.”
Logan Elementary
Community Partners Across San Diego County
How we stay afloat.
My Living Archive is a for-profit venture. The majority of donated media is preserved and gifted to local libraries, schools, and community spaces. A portion of select items is sold to sustain the business — covering transportation, restoration supplies, storage, and the staff who make the second act possible. Your donation keeps San Diego’s stories circulating either way.
Please note: because My Living Archive is a for-profit business, your donation is not tax-deductible. No charitable contribution receipt will be issued.