thescoobygang

I remember seeing a thread about this a while back. So I was just curious to know if there are any bookcrossers around here. The membership at bookcrossing.com just recently surpassed the 196,000 mark...so the concept does seem to be gaining in popularity around the world.

Personally, I'm not that great at leaving books in public places for strangers to find...but the site also allows you to track books you pass on to friends or lets you trade/share books by mail with other members. That part I think I could like. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]


tSG

[ 12-30-2003: Message edited thescoobygang ]

Carrie99

Thanks for bringing this to out attention. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I just checked that site and several have been 'released' at my college and at my local mall.

[ 03-22-2003: Message edited Carrie99 ]

Puddlemere

I actually registered an extra copy of Pride and Prejudice there because I couldn't take it back, but I haven't released it yet. [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

ILVtheFAB4

I'm a book crosser! I've dropped 6 books, but only one has officially been caught. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] But I'll try more!!! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

jennarose

I read an article about Bookcrossing last year. I love the idea of the site but for some reason I don't like the thought of leaving one of my books, even one I didn't like, behind. I feel bad for the book. What if no one finds it? What if it ends up in a lost and found box? What if it gets ruined by rain or a dog carries it off? [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

[ 03-31-2003: Message edited jennarose ]

thescoobygang

ILVtheFAB4 if you don't mind me asking, what screen id are you registered under over there? I've released over 20 books and I've only had 1 "wild" catch. So yeah, the success rate is pretty low.

jennarose, if you are skittish about leaving books in public places(like me [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]) you could always try trading books by mail instead. A lot of members will even send you books from their shelf for free if you can't afford a trade(affectionately known as RABCK- Random acts of Book crossing Kindness). There's also dozens of groups on their forum called Book rings/Book rays. For that you sign up to read a book and after you've read it you enter a journal and then mail it to the next member on the list.

here is my BC bookshelf if anyone is interested in seeing what one typically looks like. bookshelf

[ 03-31-2003: Message edited thescoobygang ]

jennarose

Thanks, I will look into the trading. Right now I'm selling books on half.com but many of them are so common that they don't sell because everybody who wants them has already read them. If I don't donate them to a charity sale I might try trading. Of course I could run into the same problem there as I have on half, lol.

Rachel

The trading thing sounds like a good idea that I might check into. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Like Jenna, I'm wary about leaving the books in public places -- lots of people upon finding a book just laying somewhere would probably throw it in the trash. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]
--Rachel

Soz

I've noticed that some people who have their books listed at bookcrossing.com have donated the books to charity shops, so that way, they won't get rained on, thrown away, or carried off by a dog. I was thinking of listing the books I plan to donate to Salvation Army on there and see what happens. The book ring sounds really neat too though.

jennarose, I've found that a lot of people who participate in book trading have very common books on their wish lists. I'm actually having a hard time trading more rare books than popular releases and I have the opposite problem on half.com.

Edited to add, I just looked at the BookCrossing site again and half.com is a Crossing Zone, so I think you can register books you have for sale on half.com at BookCrossing. I think I will only register the books I've read that I have for sale on half.com, so I can make proper journal entries.

[ 04-01-2003: Message edited Soz ]

thescoobygang

hmmmm...interesting. I didn't know that. Sort of makes BC easier for people who already sell. And yes, donating books to the Salvation Army, hospitals, library, church bazaars, schools or even selling to 2nd hand book stores are less traditional but safer alternatives to the outdoor drop-off approach.

Here is an explanation of some of the BC book club terminology. The definitions are from a member named TexasWren.


tSG

[ 04-01-2003: Message edited thescoobygang ]

Carrie99

I think it's really cool that people 'trade' books like this and it's a tremendous idea. It would be really neat if a book y'all released ended up on the other side of the world from you.

Manders

I'm a member of Bookcrossing but haven't gotten the chance to leave a book yet. I just haven't found the time yet and I want to be creative if I do it if that makes sense.

jennarose

I will definitely look into it then. I remember when I first discovered BC I was reading the message boards there and there was quite a debate about whether you should register books you sell on half or ebay. Some people seemed to think it was okay. It seemed that many of the people who had been using BC a long time didn't. To them, the whole point of it was giving away the book. I don't think it's that big a deal but some people get caught up in the "this is the way to do it and it's the ONLY way and if you're not doing it this way you're doing it wrong" mentality.

[ 04-05-2003: Message edited jennarose ]

jjt

I've been meaning to sign up for a while .. so finally did. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] I'll be releasing some books in st louis this week. I'll post em here too. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Carrie99

Sort of. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Creative in what way? In the label on the book or where and how you leave it?

[ 04-08-2003: Message edited Carrie99 ]