MegaSite Mania

Book Crossing ? An Altruistic Book Club

If you love reading books and wish to share the good books that you have read you may want to be a part of the community calling itself “Book Crosser”. They are proud members of the site www.bookcrossing.com started by Ron Hornbaker in 2001. The site encourages people to release books with the intention of making them available to those who may not afford to buy the books.

Members may register books that they wish to “release” and get unique BC ID number for the books. They must keep secret the first three numbers of the ID to ensure that only those who actually have the book in their possession make a journal entry. The members have to ensure that they only get a BCID for a book. Another rule is that members can release only books, perhaps even audio books, but magazines, catalogues, directories etc. are not acceptable. Many members do exchange such stuff without registering them. Once the book has been registered, the members need to prepare for the release.

Preparing A Book For Release Into The Wild
Members usually need to make sure that the book they intend to release has the url of the website and the BCID attached firmly and visibly. This is to ensure that people who may pick up the books may visit the site, get hooked and become members themselves. A label is usually pasted inside the front cover with clear packing tape to ensure that it stays fixed to the book for its lifetime. Many members also write the number as well as the url inside the book. These labels may be purchased from the website or you may print them from the website, or make them yourself.

It is better to make the book as noticeable as you can to ensure that it will be found. Some members include messages such as “free book”, “Pick me up Please”, “Please take me home!? or ?I?m not lost! I was left for you to enjoy!? these messages are held together by a ribbon tied around the book. It is better to get a release bag from the site to ensure that it is protected from the elements till someone picks it up. You may also use a Ziploc bag until you get the supplies. The books usually contain information promoting the site and the concept by using bookmarks or promotional material urging them to release the book again after they have read and enjoyed it.

Members carefully select where they intend to release the book making sure that it has a good chance of being picked up. The ?wild? they release it into could be a park bench, a coffee shop, a charity accepting books, a friend?s willing hands. Once they have released the book they put the location and date of release on the site. It is for someone else to catch the book now and the book circle is complete. Two strangers have connected through a book.

Technorati Tags : release members books ensure