7.26.2011

Become a Moocher







What in the world is BookMooch?  

 BookMooch is a fabulous website that allows you to trade your old or already read books with other users.  You basically post books that you no longer want and then other moochers request them from you.  Once you send books out (shipping to send books out is all you have to pay), you receive a point.  With each point you can pick books to mooch from other users.  If you are familiar with PaperbackSwap, then this is a similar idea.  Before BookMooch, I used PaperbackSwap for about two years.  PaperbackSwap was definitely one of the first sites to come up with this idea of book swapping and make it work successfully.  BookMooch, on the other hand, seems to have worked out some of the kinks that you will still find on Paperback Swap.  


Why is BookMooch better?  

1.  Easier interface
2.  You don't have to print mailing labels
3.  You not only get a point for every book you send, but you get 1/10th of a point for every book you make available to other users.  So if I post 10 books to be mooched by other users, I get a point.  If someone mooches one of those books, I get another point.  For each point I have I can mooch a book from other users. 
4.  You can choose when you send the book (as long as its not months from the time you agreed to send it).
5.  Not as many ads

How can educators and librarians use BookMooch?

BookMooch is a great way to get rid of books that you are weeding from your collections.  As long as the books are in decent shape, you can post them on BookMooch and then request more books for your students.  While the books you are receiving may not be new, it could be a great way to get multiple copies of a popular book or copies of books for literature circles.  


Take a minute to check out BookMooch:  http://bookmooch.com/

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