I vaguely recalled this term when reading it on one of our members blogs – amillionmilesfromnormal – but went onto the Bookcrossing site to see what it was all about. And I remembered that I thought it was a brilliant idea, and still do.
Basically, what it means is that the world is our library.
If you have a book that is gathering dust on the bookshelf, been read (or not as the case may be), enjoyed or not, and is looking for a new owner. Now all you need to do is to register it on Bookcross, get it out into the world and watch where it ends up! A tracking service to see where in the world your books travel to. You can either leave it stranded somewhere or hook up with other bookcrossers and exchange books. Once you join the Bookcrosser site you have the option of ordering the starter kit, which comes with funky yellow stickers to put into your book so others know it is part of the Bookcrossing way of life or , you can make your own.
This is the definition from Wikipedia:
BookCrossing (also: BC, BCing or BXing) is defined as “the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.” The term is derived from bookcrossing.com, a free online book club which began in order to encourage the practice, aiming to “make the whole world a library.”
The ‘crossing’ or exchanging of books may take any of a number of forms, including wild releasing books in public, direct swaps with other members of the websites, or “book rings” in which books travel in a set order to participants who want to read a certain book. The community aspect of BookCrossing.com has grown and expanded in ways that were not expected at the outset, in the form of blog or forum discussions, mailing lists and annual conventions throughout the world.
I think this sounds like a great idea and I am now pondering which book I should select from my shelves, to set in motion, its very own adventure!
If you fancy doing the bookcross thang, head on over and take a read: Bookcrossing
Let us know where you set your books free and the adventures they go on…
i love book crossing and have done it a few times. but it’s not as easy as it seems. you have to make sure nobody sees you leaving the book behind. twice people ran after me screaming ‘wait, you left your book behind.’ and i had to blush and thank them for returning it and try find a more secluded spot.
it’s like the opposite of stealing, but you get a similar rush. not that i steal things, but you know what i mean.
We know what you mean! I havent given it a go yet…