This is perhaps going to be the shortest blog I've ever written. But I wanted to share this with you.
Recently I visited friends who live in a small close-knit village. Last year one of my friends retired and has joined a number of local clubs. One of these clubs is the book club. They meet once a month, choose a book, everyone reads it and over tea and cake they discuss it.
Now last year BT decided the public phone, situated in the middle of the village was no longer viable so removed it. However they left the box, empty and uncared for. So the local book club came up with a wonderful idea. They have filled it with books looking for new homes. They have invited the entire village to take part and enjoy using the new local 'library.'
Basically if you take a book you replace with a book you enjoyed reading and want to share. So far the system is working well and as you can see this small library is quite well stocked.
Well stocked for its size!
I just love this idea. I'm hoping people think so to and perhaps create their own small libraries and soon they'll be popping up all over the place.
As of right now, anyone who signed up for information on the new Bookmark Swap has been emailed. If you did get an email or it got deleted/missed/spammed/whatever let me know (shadygladeATmailDOTcom) right away and I'll make sure you get the information.
It's going to be a fun swap. We've got a few participants confirmed already and there's some neat bookmarks being sent. Looks like lots of fun! :)
If you want to join the fun, make sure you check out this post on how to get started.
One of my favorite things about reading doesn't have to do with books at all. It has to do with bookmarks. I love bookmarks. I love making them, collecting them, and giving them as presents.
So with Christmas coming up, I thought it would be fun to do a bookmark swap. I'd still have to work out the details, but the basic idea would be a group of fellow bookmark lovers would either make or purchase a certain number of bookmarks, one for each member of the group. Then everyone would send their bookmarks in, and get a package back that would have one bookmark from every member in the swap. So if we had 8 people participate, you'd send out 8 of your bookmarks and get 8 completely new ones back in the mail. Sound like fun to anyone?
Also, around this time last year I started a travelling book swap. Essentially, it was a box that travelled around the country to the swap participants. When you got the box, you would take out the books you wanted to keep, and replace them with books you were ready to get rid of before mailing it on to the next person.
I have a lot of books sitting around here lately that I'm done with, and I'm thinking it'd be fun to do again. So, I was wondering would anyone be interested in participating? The cost was $5 to help cover postage costs, and then of course whatever the postage charge was when you mailed the box.
We had a lot of fun the last time, and I've learned from the experience too. I think the main thing I'd like to do is keep the lines a lot shorter this time around so it doesn't take as long to get around to everyone.
Anyway, if you think either (or both) of these ideas sound fun, let me know. I'd love to do both eventually, but right now I'm mostly trying to gage interest. Of course, if no one seems interested, the idea will kind of die, so I figured it was a good thing to check before I started trying to organize it. :)
Well, it's official. I've done a little bit of spring cleaning the last few days (not much, but a little) and it's time to get rid of some old books to make room for new. Plus, I'm also moving to Florida for the summer, so I want to have everything sent out by May 15th.
So here's an updated trading list. Want to help me out, or see something you want? You can see my wish list in the left sidebar. If you don't have anything on that list, you can send me an email with a list of what you have, and we'll see if I can work something out.
Pretty much these are all gently used (a few new)
ARC=Advance Review Copy, PB=Paperback, HC=Hardcover
Books with an (*) I am open to doing a 2 for 1 trade in some cases.
*Adios To All The Drama
by Diana Rodriguez Wallach (ARC)
After Ever After
by Jordan Sonnenblick (ARC)
Alphas
by Lisi Harrison (ARC)
Banana Ninja BOLDPRINT Graphic Novel by Robert Piotrowski (PB)
The Best Little Girl in the World
by Steven Levenkron (PB)
*The Book For People Who Do Too Much
by Bradley Trevor Greive (HC)
Boys without Names
by Kashmira Sheth (ARC)
Bratfest at Tiffany's![]()
1 Comments on Want to Trade? Updated Trading List, last added: 5/1/2010
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This is perhaps going to be the shortest blog I've ever written. But I wanted to share this with you.
by Jane Orcutt (PB)
by D.J. Milky (HC)
by Carolyn Meyer (PB)
by Lauren Myracle (ARC)
by Robin Palmer (PB)
/
2-in-1 Edition by Darren Shan (ARC)
3 Comments on Virtual Book Swap: Round 1, last added: 12/22/2009
by Heather Davis
by Carol Snow
by Joanne Harris
It is a lovely idea. Libraries can exist in the most unlikely places. There is one in a canoe in Africa!
I too think such places make atttractive and interesting "homes" for local book sharing - and all praise to the people who run them. It's a nice post.
BUT I also don't think that such newsworthy venues can offer the range of books or book-ordering facilities or even the study space ("Come out, Mary-Jane! Your three minutes is up!Do not press Button B.") that anyone doing serious study or research needs.
It's all too easy to quote such sites as the answer to the library cuts. Imo they are a pretty add-on to a badly-hacked core.
I'm with Panny. This is sweet and lovely, and a great idea. But 'as libraries close' if this is all we're left with, it is pitiful.
or even PENNY. Sorry!
I'm all for libraries and have spent many hours in them and I feel even losing one is a crime. But if using an old phone box in this way can convert one person into reading books who would never dream of walking into a library then it's served it's purpose well.
Lynne, like you, I'm all for converting people into readers but recently I seem to have seen too many "media puffs" about such small photogenic libraries put out by councils and such bodies as cute smokescreens for the cuts that that are going on. Our local paper had an article about a village pub that now acts as a library, replacing the mobile library that used to come to the village. Great "story" - and a good way of encouraging people into the pub too. But, in my view, without an active and well-staffed library service, there's a point when volunteer-led library initiatives will fade. Volunteers can be fantastic, but they can also be a picky lot about what and when they do things because the work is not as central to their lives. This is without touching on the "range of book stock" issues.
It is a pretty library!
Over time I think the stock would go down some as some wouldn't put books back, but a lot of readers are good people. And if some occasionally restocked with used books, it could be a real winner.
Lynne, I love this! What a cute - and civilised - idea!
Peculiarly British or oddly human? Vandalised phone box rescues vandalised library. The spirits of Margaret Rutherford and Alec Guinness deposit a book.
Great story.
I agree that this is a sweet idea. But I also agree with those who have said that it's no replacement for the real thing - not least because of this sort of thing.
Yes we need libraries, but I see no problem with having this as well - I think it's a great idea.