Book Crossing is a website where you "release" books into the wild so that others can pick them up and read them.  To facilitate this, people will put a sticker stating that it is a Book Crossing book on or in the book.  Since the sticker does not make the book unpostable, if they bother you, you'd need to have Requestor Conditions stating so. 

The stickers sort of act as a tracking device if someone who picks it up somewhere it was left or "released" and wants to log into the Bookcrossing site and log in its travel path.   Some people are fairly discreet with the sticker and placement and others plaster it like a billboard.   Basically you leave a stickered book somewhere and see what happens and how many people and places it goes through.   

I've seen the same thing with $1 bills somewhere too:lol:

The $1 bills is www.wheresGeorge.com.   They both work the same.   Something is stamped on the book to identify it.  If you come accross one, you can log into the site and see where it's been.  You are suppose to then pass it on to somebody else.  That's why people don't want a book crossing book.  They may not want to have to pass it on to somebody else. 

I don't believe it's mandatory that you send a Bookcrossing book onward.  I got one (and I think that's the only one I've gotten since I joined in 2007) and did send a note to bookcrossing that the book wouldn't be going anywhere except on my shelf.  LOL.  Pat

I haven't gotten a bookcrossing book for a long time but when PBS was new there was a large number of bookscrossing members, some of them a little overenthusiastic with their stickers and their urging members receiving their books to log them in. I think that may have turned some non-bookcrossing members off on bookcrossing books.

Several years ago I received a couple bookcrossing books.  Some of the stickers used by bookcrossing enthusiasts are rather large and attached to the cover (others are reported to be much smaller).  The larger labels can be unsightly which causes some PBS members to RC against them.

If you had a bookcrossing book, it would have an obvious sticker on the front cover, back cover, and/or inside the front cover.  They are individually numbered so they can be tracked through the Bookcrossing website.

I got a book crossing title once; sender was pretty direct about sending it on and logging in.  I let the book die a quiet death in a box.

-RD

I haven't received a Bookcrossing book in ages. I wonder if Bookcrossing members have become just as turned off as PBS members? I remember getting one that had 5 stickers on it, and three ink stamps. The sender was pretty ticked when I said I wouldn't be passing it along, she felt she had gone through all that trouble for nothing lol

Just in defense of Bookcrossing: some of the Bookcrossing books I've received have small or NO stickers in them, just a bookmark with the Bookcrossing ID in it.  Not every Bookcrossing book is covered with obnoxious stickers and unsightly markings.

Although, some do have that, and ARE just traveling Bookcrossing advertisements ...

(I always log the Bookcrossing books in at their site, and some of those were indeed Keeper Shelf books for me.)

The worst offender I've received has the BCID in large black marker over all 3 sides of the exposed book pages, BC sticker on the front cover, inside front cover, and inside rear cover.  After that one, it became the top line in my RC: "Absolutely no Bookcrossing books please."

Sianeka, I was just citing the amusing worst case I had experienced. I did also receive books that were simply stamped inside one of the covers, with a Bookcrossing business card tucked between pages. Although I don't believe I've ever sent a BC book back out (I've kept 99% of my PBS books), I did at least go to the Bookcrossing site and register my home as the final resting place of each book I received :)

 I love bookcrossing before I found PBS. I like that the books I post now will actually go to a home, not be left some place and possibly trashed.

Ironically , I received a Book Crossing book yesterday, with a very tasteful small sticker inside. I logged onto the site and posted that I'd gotten it. 

I joined Bookcrossing years ago, before PBS of course.......I was very enthusiastic and bought stickers from the site and "left" my first 25 books in different places all over town. I waited months before anyone responded by reporting a found book. I didn't care what the finder did with the book after they found it, I was just curious about where the books traveled.

After the first 25 I wised up and used blank stickers and printed out a short message and the tracking number. In all I probably "set free" 75 books. I gave up long ago hoping to have people log in to report finding the book. It was a very low percentage.

Now I KNOW where my books go and I rarely need to buy a new book. I have been a PBS member for 6 years, have mailed 511 books and received 374. PBS is so much more fun and I still "set free" unpostable books by donating to thrift shops. Some books I have received here make it to my sister who can't afford new books or mailing them. In turn she passes some great books my way that she picks up at thrift stores. Those books get posted here after reading.

If I ever get a Bookcrossing book from here I will respond but I no longer participate by releasing books.