America's Book Shelf -- New Life for Old Books
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 05. 2.06
We mentioned the UK's version of a product service system for books in January; now, the concept has made it across the Atlantic. Lauched on Earth Day, America's Book Shelf borrows a page from Netflix and Blockbuster by delivering the books you want right to your door. What's even cooler (and greener) is that most of the books come from members themselves: you list books you're willing to share on the website, and when someone requests one of them, ABS sends you a postage-paid envelope to mail it off. As a member, you can then request books from other members, keep it as long as you like, and check it in online when you're done with it. When someone else wants it, another postage-paid envelope comes your way. According to owner Bill Denkler, "For every 65 books shared through AmericasBookShelf.com, we can help save one tree from the pulp and paper mills." The company also lightens its footprint by buying wind energy from NativeEnergy and using only recycled office supplies. As a lauch special, ABS is offering a free one-year membership to the first 10,000 people that join -- you only pay for your book credits. Very cool! :: America's Book Shelf See also ::Treehugger Homework: Start a Library at Work
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Very wise idea.
Saving the money, sharing the information with a larger group.
Saving tree pulp, improving life at earth.
Bonus- free membership!
What is the advantage of this site over, say, PaperBackSwap.com (?)
There's no central office, you can ship for free, it uses fewer office supplies, they're restricted to (mostly) paperbacks, which are more TH-friendly to ship...
I mean... kudos for having a "green" office, but *eliminating* the office seems even more green to me: decentralization is often a very natural way of solving these kinds of problems!
Or, just share your books with your friends! It's arguably greener (no shipping or packing materials or infrastructure costs). Novel hoggers are no treehuggers.
Uh, has anybody ever heard of a LIBRARY? If my library doesn't have what I want, they can search the entire state and get it for $1. If they have to go out of state it costs something like $3.
Ditto, Jeremy. PaperBackSwap is the best. I can't imagine switching.
Libraries should indeed be the first place you look, but as long as people keep buying books, they might as well do something with them once they're done reading.
Of course, it's also a good idea to donate books to your local libary..
Neat idea, but honestly, I'm too anal about my books to mail them out to people I don't know. I hate it when my books get bent, dog-eared, or *shudder* the spine gets broken.
Philosophical question here: every time a book gets "recycled"...how does the author get his cut? Puts a little perspective on the whole "music piracy" dialogue to see it as a practice we all honor and some of us love (Oh the unrealized promise of a dusty used bookshop!) Hug a starving artist today.
If I remember my IP classes correctly, copyright law doesn't forbid selling or buying second hand books, and it doesn't forbid to lend or donate books.
The author got his "cut" when the book was bought in the first place.
Philosophical question here: every time a book gets "recycled"...how does the author get his cut? Puts a little perspective on the whole "music piracy" dialogue to see it as a practice we all honor and some of us love (Oh the unrealized promise of a dusty used bookshop!) Hug a starving artist today.
I've never heard of an artist receiving royalties on the sale of a used product. Royalties are paid upon purchase of new media. This is the norm.
People have been sharing books for centuries. Only in the past century have people become so literate and books become so cheap that many regular people have their own 'library'.
a century ago, having a couple bookcases worth was a sign that you were not only educated, but wealthy. Poor people lucky enough to befriend such a person, and the wealthy themselves regularly shared books. Book ownership has increased exponentially since then. Never in history have publishers and many authors been so well-heeled.
Stephen King is not going to die penniless because you passed his books on to a few people.
for anyone out there still who is still a college kid *sigh* there is swooks.com...you can find the textbooks you need online and turn in "points" for them they are shipped to you in just a few days...you can also post your used textbooks to earn points...it only cost you shipping and handling if someone "swooks" your book...which is soooo much cheaper than paying 100 plus dollars for a used textbook from your local college bookstore!
This is a very user friendly book club. I joined AmericasBookShelf.com Sunday before last and have already received three books. I use to belong to another book sharing club but found it too difficult to enjoy. I like the fact that I don't have to wait for someone else to ask for one of my books before I can order a book, and with gas prices being so high I love not having to drive to the library(15 miles away) for a book or to the post office to mail out requested books. Five Star rating*****
I am a senior citizen who no longer drives. I rely on public transportation. I love the mail order service and the inventory of books from which I can choose.
I just joined and I'm ecstatic about the idea of sharing my books with others. I've looked into other such sites and this is by far the most user friendly I've seen!!!
If an artist is starving from a lack of book sales it's likely that their poor writer's and it has nothing to do with sites like Americas Bookshelf.
Americas Bookshelf increase our access to literature while simultaneously decreasing human waist. I say join today and save a tree!!!
Just discoved a similar online service (based very close to me house) called Novel Action. Trade used books by the pound. Seems like a good small business model.
www.novelaction.com