book exchange?

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

So lately I've been reading ALOT of books because I have a 3 hour commute each day on the train. I've been buying one or two books a week. Instead of buying new books each week, I thought it might be cool to swap books with other people. That way I could read some new stuff and share some of the books I've really liked lately.

Is there any interest in having a regular book exchange? Nothing too complex, just people showing up with 4 or 5 books they own and exchanging one or two of them with someone else. You could bring in new or old books.

Maybe we could meet up like every couple of weeks or once a month at Diesel or the Starbucks? Like a Saturday afternoon? You could return the books you borrowed during the next book exchange or at one of the other social meetups. It would be a total honor system whether you returned the books or not, but we would know who you are and gossip about you online.

If there is any interest in doing a book exchange, let me know and I'll post more about it later.

Comments

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I have a ton of books and I'd be into this. But I have school on Saturday afternoons. Any way we could mix the days up, maybe sometimes Saturday, sometimes Sunday, sometimes a weekday evening? Then more people (including me) could come sometimes.

_{For once I have no topic-appropriate userpic, but you can't lose with pr0n.}

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Here's a suggestion: How about meeting up at the Somerville Public Library? ;-)

[neuroacorn.livejournal.com]

The Davis (West Somerville) Branch is closed on the weekends :-(

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Don't tell anyone, but I owe money to the library* and therefore get my books by buying them ;)



*I took out a book a long time ago and it got lost during a move. I never made amends with the good people at the Somerville Public Library.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

I believe Somerville has a ceiling on fines. So it's the ceiling, plus replacement cost of the book (which you can replace yourself by Amazon).

Plus a stern talking to from a librarian, but there's a reason some people enjoy that experience a little too much (not that I'd know anything about that, of course).

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

I did find a book in my bookshelf a few years ago, that I had checked out from the BPL in 1991. When I returned it, I think they charged me a dollar. Maybe two. And there wasn't even a talking-to. I really felt insufficiently punished.

[ron_newman]

Especially if she's the librarian from Tomes of Terror.

[antimony.livejournal.com]

If it was recent enough for you to have an online account with the Minuteman Library Network, you could pay the fine on-line and never have to admit it to a live person.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I had a pretty big fine built up at the SPL too, but when I finally decided that it was stupid to keep depriving my kids of the pleasures of library-going because of my embarrassment ;) I went and said "okay, tell me how much it is" and the woman was like, "meh, let's just call it five bucks and you're good." <3

[delahk.livejournal.com]

I brought a dozen books with me after me move and the rest of my Oversized Postgrad Library is in storage. Should my pittance be deemed worthy I would be happy to participate.

But I Will *Cut* anyone that doesn't return one of my books. I can make a mean shank out of a hardcover.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Saturday at the Diesel? Count me in.

[thebostonreader.livejournal.com]

You could also try www.swaptree.com; you list the books you have and then swap them for other people's books. All you pay is postage. You can also swap DVDs and video games.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

i'll second swaptree.com. it's a good time.

that being said, i might be up for a book swap event of some sort. preferably where booze can be involved :D

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Should we start a Swaptree Davis Square group to facilitate a local swap? Might be easier to have our inventories held in Swaptree for all to browse in advance rather than carry a box of books around to a meetup.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

that's a great idea for someone else to act on :p

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Done. Open invitation to all to join the Davis Square Swaptree group here:
http://www.swaptree.com/group/davis-square-ma/2671/

Not sure how well this will facilitate trades, but let's give it a shot.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Bookmooch.com is the same concept (minus the DVDs and video games) and is awesome. Okay, there's a minimal investment of effort (to package up your books and take them to the post office) but the ROI is well worth it.

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

There's also http://bookcrossing.meetup.com/195/

[crazybone.livejournal.com]

I might be interested. Heck, there are some books I'm looking to give away outright.

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

i could be interested. the boyfriend is also interested.

[cos]

In principle, yes. Thing is, I want to keep the books I like. So I'd either give away books I don't really like, or some of the few books I like so much and think have a general enough appeal that I buy multiple copies to give away.

P.S. I use BookMooch a lot :)

[myselftheliar.livejournal.com]

I would be very interested.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

I'd be interesting. I think Diesel might be a bad location - often far too crowded and no room to spread out books for trade. Starbucks has that long table (if you pick a time before or after rush times) or the Somervill Main Branch might be an even better option - quick ride via the 88 or 90 from Davis.

[snoopymel.livejournal.com]

join PaperbackSwap! I love it! I exchange books all the time, and it's all for the price of postage to get a new read...

If you do join, please tell them that "snoopymel" recommended you...

http://www.paperbackswap.com/

Distributed Library

[conana.livejournal.com]

This seems like a good time to advertise a related idea that I'm trying to get off the ground. A distributed library is a bit different, in that it's for lending books that the owner wants back.

I'm piggybacking on librarything, to organize a central catalogue of books locally available to borrow.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/bostondistributedlib

At the moment, my books are the only ones listed.