Booking Through Thursday - Library Week

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

OK, confession time. I actually don't have a library card for the local public library system. That's not to say I don't use libraries. I do have an NYPL card and I frequently check books out of the libraries at the university. I'm also a huge fan of inter-library loan service.

I do like going to bookstores and browsing and was very much in the habit of using the bookstore as a library for a while, but we have definitely been buying less. We've been getting books through BookCrossing and book trading sites like BookMooch. Now I tend to only buy books if I'm planning to keep them permanently or as gifts.

Many of my childhood memories have to do with the library. I wrote about one of them in this post. Personally I like both "sleek, modern, active libraries" and "older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries" for different reasons.

BookMooch

I've been pretty involved in BookMooch, a new book trading site, since it launched this summer. (OK, "pretty involved" is probably an understatement since I was just granted admin priviledges, but...)

Anyway John Buckman, the creater, posted more promotional photos and I just had to share this one ;)


Photo credit Diana Elliot

To learn more about BookMooch, read this post...

amazing mooch

I came home to find a beautiful hard cover copy of Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen, a book I reviewed for Elle magazine (for more information see this post), in my mail. Having already read, reviewed, and passed on my Advanced Reader Copy, I was pleasantly surprised to receive this unexpected gift from the wonderful folks at Random House.

I listed the book on BookMooch hoping to find it an enthusiastic reader and, well, I think I did because the book was mooched within minutes of me listing it, quite literally.
Now that's what I call an enthusiastic new reader!

BookMooch

On August 15th I joined a brand new book trading site, BookMooch.com. I'm not a member of any of the other trading sites (PaperbackSwap, TitleTrader, etc.) so I can't compare it to them, but I do have to say that BookMooch is awesome.



Conceived, designed, written and administered by John Buckman, BookMooch is growing quickly. Right now the site has approximately 5,800 members and 45,000 books available for mooching.

BookMooch is based on a points system. Users gain points by listing books (0.10 per book) and by granting mooch requests (1 for domestic, 3 for international). They can use those points to mooch books from other members (1 point for domestic, 2 for international).

The best things about the site:
~ the book selection
~ it encourages international trading
~ it gives back by partnering with a number of different charities

So far I've mooched six books and had three books mooched from me. It's been a great experience.

Check it out and see what you think!

Here's a link to my inventory ;)