BookMooch - Adoption Services for Bibliophiles

My friend Max told me about a whole different approach to personal library downsizing, BookMooching. It's worth going to the link just to see its founder, John Buckman, in a very engaging presentation. In an earlier post, I described why I sell books online. I'm tickled that someone else can use them - I have sold cookbooks I never use, novels, my kids' used textbooks, duplicates, you name it. I always find it satisfying to declutter, and stacks of books really do accumulate if you're a bibliophile. When I blogged about it, I said I would do it for free, and it turns out that is exactly how this system works. You enter the books you are offering, and that allows you to put in requests as well. Everyone pays the freight at shipping time, so presumably it averages out. BookMooch uses an accountability rating system similar to Ebay, so you can check out potential book donors before putting in a request.
You can also donate books to benefit charities and good causes.
The elegance of this system is that by harnessing the power of the internet, your obscure book will have a chance of finding a new home. If you donate it to your public library or thrift shop, the odds of finding a match are pretty low.
Using this system takes patience. It's not for the person needing to dispose of a whole library, but it's great for a general clean-out, and a fun way to receive books you now want. Very ingenious!