As in previous years, students may donate personal items to their residence halls between now and the end of finals.

This year, through a new wrinkle in the process, those staying in town for two more weeks will also have the chance to buy from the variety of wares unwanted.

Dorm residents are encouraged to pitch items such as clothes, books, electronics, food and office supplies into bins set up in the lobbies of their halls, rather than resort to dumpsters, said Patrick Call, associate director of Residence Life.

The most salvageable items, especially computers and furniture, will be sold in the loading dock of the UofA Bookstore on May 23-24, Call said.

Any profits will go toward Residence Life’s recycling and sustainability programs, he said.

“”The whole idea is to not fill the landfill,”” Call said.

After halls are vacated for the semester, Residence Life workers will place donated items into plastic bags and haul them to the bookstore’s off-campus storage facility, Call said.

The bookstore will be assisting “”with our expertise in sales and managing the movement of items,”” said director Frank Farias.

“”The bookstore has nothing to gain from this,”” he said. “”We’re just trying to help

Residence Life and hopefully the community.””

Items will likely go at “”broadsale-type”” prices, Call said.

Those items not sold will be made available to local organizations such as the Food Bank, World Care and the Salvation Army, which receive annual donations from dorm residents, he said.