Spending too much on books? Running out of room on your bookshelf? BookCrossing could be the solution.
This fun (and free) program encourages readers to recycle their old books by leaving them around town where other people will find them, and even allows you to track the location of your "released" books, as they continue to be passed from one person to the next. Very cool.
There's also a "go hunting" page on the site with a list of all the books waiting to be "caught" – a great way to keep your own reading habit fed.
Have you used BookCrossing? Please share your experience.
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Photo © Flickr user Wonderlane
I have many, many children’s book. I clean and then pack a variety in my trunk. While waiting in restaurants, I scan the crowd, take some from the trunk, and pass them out to children. I ask parents if it’s OK first. Sometimes I tell them I am the Book Lady. If there is time, I tell them a little about the book, where it’s from, or why they would enjoy it.
Sophie B
Our area has a more structured program, primarily for kids, called “Reading for All”. The local food bank collects donated books, provides space for sorting into age categories, then provides them to different places where kids can get them, including food pantries.
I am a member of BookCrossing. Though I haven’t used it much, I like the idea of recycling my books. I have “released” 7 or 8 books so far, but only 1 has been “captured.” Or at least it’s the only one that has been reported. I look at the “hunting” pages sometimes, but I haven’t caught any books yet. Give it a try; it’s fun.
I am a member of bookins online. You list your books that you want to trade, and you only pay shipping on the books that you want. They use a point system to keep book trading fair. I’ve sent off quite a few books, and received a handful back.
http://www.bookins.com
Wow, What a great idea! I looked online and there are people doing this in my area – so we are going to try it, too! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
I used it for awhile, but switched to paperbackswap. It’s less labor intensive and enjoy it more (reviews,etc)
I think this would work well in highly populated areas, but out in the country I prefer paperbackswap.com with it’s one-for-one trade – you just pay shipping. (If you do join, use “lovemykleekai” as the referral.)