Here's another one with membership fees: US$12 per year plus book credits at US$3.50 each (sold in blocks of 5 credits). Like BookSwim, there are no due dates or overdue fines. The difference is that the website doesn't own the stock of books; each network member actually offers what's on his/her own bookshelf. What's more, there's an environmental message: "Read, Share and Receive".
And unlike BookCrossing *- which is free-of-charge, you can actually get your own book back, but until then, the books you borrow are kept on your bookshelf at home, until the time you receive a request for a book to be shared. And this system only works in USA; otherwise, the variable postage rates will be pretty destablising.
* Scott, the CEO of BookCrossing (last seen at the launch of BookCross@SG 2007), has left a clarification under the Comments section:
"Just a point of clarification...On BookCrossing, many bookcrosser's that ARE
interested in getting their book back setup "BookRings".... where books travel
all over the world to various other BookCrossers requesting that book, and then
back to the original sender...all for free and they ship the books on their own
dimes."
3 useful comments:
My guess is that the idea behind rental movies will not translate to rental books. That is, nobody wants to rent a book :) Libraries do it for free. And better than that, BookCrossing is less selfish, international, and shares literacy with no expectation of returned books.
Just my $.02
Damien,
Good piece. Just a point of clarification...On BookCrossing, many bookcrosser's that ARE interested in getting their book back setup "BookRings".... where books travel all over the world to various other BookCrossers requesting that book, and then back to the original sender...all for free and they ship the books on their own dimes.
Scott
CEO BookCrossing
Thanks for the clarification, Scott. Will update my entry. :-)
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