BookMooch.com is an active book swapping site with more than half-million books listed and more than 25,000 active members. BookMooch is an international site, which means that there are some interesting listings that may be otherwise hard to find; however, not all members elect to ship books to other countries.
How BookMooch Works
Users offer books by adding them to an inventory and receive one credit for each book sent domestically or three for books sent internationally. Credits can then be used to request books. Bonus 1/10 credits are also given by the system for each book listed and for each book marked received to encourage users to keep inventories high and acknowledge books in a timely manner. There are no fees to sign up for BookMooch, or to send or receive books at any time. Postage is paid by the user when sending books to others, and the favor is returned when receiving books.
Listing and Sending Books on BookMooch
Books can be added to the system by looking up the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) that can usually be found on the back cover, the dust jacket flap or the back of the title page in a book. Books can also be looked up by name, but take care to match the proper binding and edition of the book. BookMooch is well-integrated enough with Amazon to accept the place-fillers that Amazon uses when the book has no ISBN. As a result it is easier to list (and request) older, rare or out-of-print books than on many sites that accept only current ISBNs. A surprising amount of these books are requested – it's great to be able to keep these books in circulation and in the hands of someone who really wants them.
BookMooch offers the ability to describe the condition of the book. Users get to select which book they want if multiple copies are available, and a detailed description increases the chance of being selected. There are no restrictions on the types of books that can be listed, even Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) or damaged books are allowed, but this should be noted in the condition description. This makes BookMooch a great place to share used textbooks.
The system will send an email when a book is requested, and the user can login to accept the request (called a "mooch"). There is no specific rule about when the book must be sent, but an timeframe is indicated when accepting the mooch. BookMooch also has the ability to set a "status message," which can alert potential requestors about mailing schedules or other general issues that pertains to all inventoried books, such as pets or smoking environments.
BookMooch has no postage or mailing label interface must be handwritten on packages. Items under 13 oz wrapped can be sent from anywhere by media mail, but items more than 13 oz must be sent from a post office under USPS security rules.
How to Request Books on BookMooch
When looking up a book by name, BookMooch will show all versions of the book available for request. When mooching a book, the system will show all copies available along with the location of the book, any condition notes and any status message listed by the giver. Domestic mooches cost one book credit. International mooches cost two credits (although the sender gets three). All else being equal, it's most sustainable to select a book that travels the least distance.
There is an opportunity to list comments, requests or an alternate mailing address at the time of the mooch. Once mooched, the book shows up on the pending tab of the BookMooch interface and will show when the book is accepted and sent.
Books not currently available can be placed on a wish list, or save for later list. For items on the wish list the user will get an email when the book is listed in the system. All members who are wishing for the book get an email at the same time, the first requestor gets it. This is obviously best for those who are tied closely to email throughout the day and can make it tough to get a popular book. On the other hand, books that might have a long wish queue on another site can be snatched up by being fast.
BookMooch is a great site for trading books, especially older or out of print editions. The interface is simple and uncomplicated to use, and it is nice to be able to choose a book based on condition. For more general information, see also the article Online Book Swapping or for details on other swapping sites see the articles on PaperBackSwap and Swaptree.
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