PaperBackSwap.com

What can I say, I'm a slow reader! Especially when I'm reading three different books at different times, juggling work, a 9 month old, a husband and a household! So, in the interest of having something to post, I'm going to have to start reviewing book sites and other book related media in between book reviews. I have also realized that I have written two posts using links and information from PaperBackSwap.com, but have yet to write a review of the site. So, here goes!

I love this site! I attribute my inspiration to pick up reading as a hobby again, entirely to this site alone. It sounds like extremely high praise, but its true! I discovered it in January of this year and have since gone on a reading spree, completing 8 new novels and using 4 self-help type books for personal pursuits. I believe that is a record for me! Also, with the help of the site, I was and continue to be able to expand my horizons into new genres and meet new authors, most of which I never would have considered in the past. I can do all of this without having to spend a small fortune on new books and storage space to keep them all when I fill up every square inch of my house (which wouldn't take long).

When I first joined the site, I was immediately hooked. I was addicted to posting and receiving books (hence the mountain of to-be-read books), to looking up new books to add to my Reminder and Wish Lists, and to browsing the message boards! But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Site co-founders, Richard Pickering and Robert Swarthout traveled a lot on business and along the way they collected a treasure trove of airport paperbacks, most of which were stored away somewhere in their homes to collect dust after their trips. Finally in 2004, after collecting countless books and having nothing to do with them, the pair came up with the idea that there should be a place where people could post their previously-read, but no longer needed books and receive other previously-read books in return. Thus paperbackswap.com was born.

The basic premise behind the site is to post books that you are willing to part with and mail them to other readers all across the United States and Puerto Rico. In return you will earn credits that you can use to request other books from other members. The site is currently free to join (Richard and Robert have reserved the right to charge a minimal membership fee later on if operating costs necessitate it), and, as an added bonus to new members, once you post your first 10 books, you will receive 2 free credits to start requesting books right away! Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, its not! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the site have grown to include hardcovers, audio books, ex-library books, and textbooks! So, if you love to read, you've got books lying around that you are willing to send to other members, have a computer and a few minutes, you can begin swapping away! For more information, visit the "How the Club Works" page of the site.

So, now that you have the general idea of how the club works, I am going to point out some of the noteworthy site features. First of all, there is the amount of books available for swapping. As of right now, there are 2,322,177 books available (426,849 unique titles) and that number is literally constantly changing as people post and request more and more books (see top right hand corner of site for actual number). These books are coming from thousands upon thousands of members all across the US and Puerto Rico.

Given those statistics, members are bound to have something to interest almost anyone! However, for those that have something specific in mind that perhaps PBS doesn't have (yet), there is the Wish List. PBS has a database of nearly every single ISBN known to the book world and if there is a book with an ISBN that you want that is not in the system, you can add it to your wish list and be in line when that book becomes available. For those books that you plan to request, but want to hold off on for now, there is the Reminder List. This is a place for you to save the titles that you want to request eventually, but just not right away. It is also a place where I like to store the titles that are not currently is the system (that most people might place on their wish lists), but that I am willing to wait for and therefore do not want to add to my wish list. It is a great organizational tool when you have a ton of titles that you want to read, but don't necessarily have the space or credits to request yet. There has been talk of a new Wish List/Reminder List hybrid that is being developed to make both lists easier to manage, but I honestly don't see how they could be better. I have made them work to my advantage as they are, however, so that might just be my opinion. I will report back on the new list when it rolls out.

The To Be Read list is another organizational tool that allows you to see what is currently on your personal shelf, waiting to be read. These books are in your possession, but are not posted to your available-for-swapping bookshelf. This is also a good tool to see what is currently on another member's wish list, and therefore might be a good idea to read first in case you plan to swap it. Its not exactly a guaranteed credit, but its close enough, especially if you have a lot of books in your wish or reminder lists.

There is a Buddy List feature that allows you to keep track of other members within the system. It is on an invitation/acceptance basis, however, so you cannot add just anyone. The buddy list is equipped with a "tags" feature that allows you to identify your buddies any way that you choose. Personally I currently have three tags that I assign my buddies: friends from my Weight Watchers board, good trades, and large bookshelves (always a good idea for making deals - I'll explain later). I can assign any or all of these tags to anyone I want and I can add more if I find a need for them.

Last, but not least, is the members' discussion forums. These are a great place to get to know the system, ask questions, and talk with fellow members. I frequently visit the Questions about PaperBackSwap forum to help with little questions that I might have had. Everyone is very helpful in answering questions or pointing you in the right direction for answers. Also, the Book Bazaar is a lot of fun just so see what people have available on their shelves or what they are offering. Its a great place for deals. Many of my TBR books came as part of deals offered on the Book Bazaar forum.

Honestly I have no complaints about the site or the concept of the site. The rules for swapping a a little on the strict side, but I understand why they must be so. When you are dealing with so many people with varying levels of comprehension, you must be specific about what's acceptable and what's not. Even then, you are bound to get a few bad apples that slip through, but I never hold that against the PBS team. To their credit, they try to monitor "problem" members and do their best to weed out repeat offenders to make the site a more reliable place for swapping.

All in all, this is one of the best ideas I have come across. I cannot thank Richard and Robert enough for coming up with the idea and maintaining the site. When my daughter gets old enough, I plan to set up an account for her so that she can enjoy the fruits of literature like I have and will continue to do.

If you haven't already, join this site! You won't regret it!