Book swapping
{{Short description|Practice of a swap of books between one person and another}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}File:Street book exchange 181st Street and Fort Washington Ave Hudson Heights.jpg]]Book swapping or book exchange is the practice of a swap of books between one person and another. Practiced among book groups, friends and colleagues at work, it provides an inexpensive way for people to exchange books, find out about new books and obtain a new book to read without having to pay. Because swaps occur between individuals, without central distribution or warehousing, and without the copyright owner making a profit, the practice has been compared to peer-to-peer (P2P) systems such as BitTorrent[https://web.archive.org/web/20090808010938/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1022148/bittorrent-arrives-books BitTorrent arrives for books], the INQUIRER—except that hard-copy original analog objects are exchanged.
College book exchange programs
Many colleges and universities have developed online book exchange programs to help students save money on textbooks.[http://tap.usf.edu/ Textbook Affordability Project (TAP) at USF], TAP USF website Some colleges build their own systems and others use systems from third party service providers.
Informal book exchanges
File:PL Wwa, park Szymanskiego, 2021.10.30, fot montaz Ivonna Nowicka.jpg, Poland]]
Some book exchanges are informal – a shelf or box is provided where books can be left or picked up. The exchange relies on users leaving and taking books and is generally not supervised.
This is a frequent practice in youth hostels where travellers can leave a book and take a different book with them. Some railway stations in Great Britain have informal book exchanges and one has also been set up in a phone box in Kington Magna.[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/428572/What-a-novel-idea-villagers-transform-redundant-phone-box-into-a-LIBRARY What a novel idea - villagers transform redundant phone box into a LIBRARY], Daily Express
File:Bookshelf for free exchange in Riga.jpg, Latvia]]
Such bookshelves are popular also in Baltic states, funded by local municipalities or by the governments.{{Cite web |title=Knygynėliai - ne vieta supelijusioms knygoms |url=https://www.sratc.lt/naujienos/knygineliai-ar-siukslyneliai/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=www.sratc.lt |language=lt}}{{Cite web |title=Cēsīs aizvien populārāks kļūst grāmatu apmaiņas plaukts |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/kultura/kulturtelpa/cesis-aizvien-popularaks-klust-gramatu-apmainas-plaukts.a314386/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=www.lsm.lv |language=lv}} In Riga, the society "Zero Waste Latvia" counted more than 20 bookshelves and boxes in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Lieto vēlreiz |url=https://www.lietovelreiz.lv/lv/karte?workfield=47 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=www.lietovelreiz.lv}}
Book swapping websites
- BookCrossing, an online book swapping site
- BookMooch, an online book swapping site
- ReadItSwapIt, an online book swapping site
- Little Free Library, trading posts that offer free books, housed in small containers, to members of the local community
- PaperBackSwap, an online book swapping club restricted to the USA
- Lenro, used to connect book readers locally (same college/neighborhood)
See also
- Collaborative consumption, a trend describing similar swapping and lending organizations
- Public bookcase
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/14/guardian-and-observer-book-swap-how-to-take-part The Guardian and Observer Book Swap: how to take part]
{{Sharing economy}}
{{Books}}