I have some books that are WLed by hundreds of people.  If I post a book which is in high demand, is there any way to make sure the person who receives it passes it along to another PBS member who will then continue the courtesy? One of the reasons why I joined was because I thought I could post recently published books and lots of people would benefit.  It kind of bums me out that people don't want to share or what (to me) sounded like a book sharing club.

However, I have seen there are not many copies of high demand books available, and part of me wonders if it's because members are keeping the books for themselves.

Can I place a condition that the copy of the book I post gets passed along for the enjoyment of hopefully many people rather than just one?

~Alicia

I honestly don't know if you can do this, no one has asked this question that I can recall. We can always hope that people will read a WL book on a timely basis then repost it. For a highly-wished for book it's to everyone's benefit to repost - but . . . . . . . .

Some people have joined PBS with the thought that they are simply loaning their book(s) and were upset to know that once a member receives a book - WL or not - it is theirs to keep.

I don't always repost a WL book, or it takes me time to finally get to it and by that time it is no longer on the wishlist.

You can't add a binding condition to a book offer. People have the option of keeping or passing along books as they choose to.

I doubt there are as many people keeping Wish List books as you might think. A WL book is not more valuable than any other book ... there would be no reason to keep it unless the sender particularly wanted it as a keeper book. And, in my experience, what is a keeper for one person is a tosser for another ... people's taste is quite different, so the same book that one person is planning to keep is the book that someone else reads and retrades.

Anyway, I only decide if I am going to keep a book after I read it, almost never before. So, a promise made beforehand might not be kept if I decided that I wanted to re-read the book later.

I think the slow down in Wish List book offers has a lot more to do with postage costs, and also the increasing use of e-readers, than with more people wanting to keep books than before.

I know I personally would be happy to get rid of more Wish List books, if I could do it in such a way as to minimize postage costs. I do offer them as multiples in the Wish List threads (and I do offer them in FIFO, as well) .... but honestly, I am letting them pile up a little bit because I don't need credits right now. It is not a permanent stopage ... but it does get expensive sending them ALL thru FIFO.

Once a book leaves your hands, what happens to it is out of your control.  I suppose you could ask people to be sure to pass it along, but just how would you plan on enforcing your request?  There are books on my WL that I just want to read and will pass on, then there are those that I have every intention of keeping.  I also seek out and post books in specific genres that are seldom posted; small press books in the horror genre and manga most often.  I assume that many of those books will probably be kept by the wisher and that's fine.  In the long run, it all works out, so what possible difference does it make to you whether or not the book you posted goes on to many others or stops with the first person? 

It would be nice to know that the books you are putting on here will then be passed on to others here, but like it's already been said, once a book has been posted, it is out of your control.

I try to repost a lot of the books I get here once I've read them, especially if they are WL.  But the problem is that many times by the time I've had the chance to finish a book, it's no longer on anyone's WL.   Sometimes I have every intention of reposting a book, but sometimes I decide I want to keep it for my own.

Some books are worth more when they've first come out, but over time, they will be about the same value as others once the book has been available for awhile.  So unless a book is something someone really wants for their own, it would seem like people would want to post them back into the PBS system.

As others have stated, there is no way to guarantee or even ask a member to pass along the book as it is their's to do with as they wish.  A while ago, I remember participating in a game where 10 or so people signed up and a highly wished for book was passed along that way.  Not sure if they still do games of that nature but I'm sure you can ask a Games Mod in the Games Forum and if you don't want to or are unable to host a game for it perhaps you can post that highly WL book to a hostess who would like to create the game.

I understand the sentiment, Alicia.  Even though I know that every receiver has the right to keep a book or pass it along as he/she wishes, I always hope that they'll set it free to another PBS member.

Your post prompted me to look at the passports for books in my transaction archives, which I've never done before.  It made me smile to watch the travels of many of the books that had passed through my hands.  Some of them have had quite a journey since they left my house!    I LOVE THAT!

I've kept a few highly wishlisted books and some heavily posted books I got here, but I've also posted an even greater number of highly wished for books that I bought brand new.  I think, in the end it all evens out.

Thank you all for your kind words (and suggestions to stop ).   I nevery meant to imply that I would rough up people for not reposting the books. I guess it was my choice of words.

I'll take a gander at the Games forum, BookwormKath. Thanks for the suggestion!

~Alicia

Some books take several trips around the world, allowing many people to read them. Some books move to one new home and stay there.

Most of the books I request off of PBS, I request for keeps. Are there some books I read once and then send off to another member? Of course, but more often then not, I order them because I want them for my collection and I won't be ready to part from them any time soon.

Different strokes for different folks...

However, I have seen there are not many copies of high demand books available, and part of me wonders if it's because members are keeping the books for themselves.

Not necessarily. It just means that more people are wishing the book than are posting the book. If 50 copies of a popular book are posted a month but 100 new people wish for it, the WL will keep growing even though plenty of copies are being posted.

 It kind of bums me out that people don't want to share or what (to me) sounded like a book sharing club.

Except this isn't a book 'sharing' club, nor a lending library.

It's always been the case that TPTB consider a book completely, 100% yours to do with as you will once you got it. It was set up to recycle used books no one wanted anymore to people who did want them. Thereby keeping them out of landfills and helping people cut costs by getting the books as cheaply as possible.

While it's nice to want to share, I think you'll just frustrate yourself by clinging to any book once it's sent out. You're basically selling a book for a credit, and you have to understand that the new owner can do with it as they please. There's no controling that, just as you wouldn't want anyone having a say in a book you buy here with a credit. Because in one way or another we've spent good money for these books, and we want to be able to do with them as we please.

This place is great for getting rid of books you don't want for those you do. But it's just not set up to make participation or 'sharing' manditory. I don't think it would be as popular if it was.

Cindy  +1

If I recieve a wishlisted book, it's mine to do with as I please.  Most of the time, they do go to my keeper shelf.

Then, there are books on my keeper shelf that I get posted because i've found that over the years my tastes have changed. 

These are some very well-thought out points.  I just need to get over the fact that this is not quite the website I thought I was signing up for.  Not that it's not a good website--- just not enough for the little socialist in me.  (Please hold "Comrade" remarks; that was a joke.)

On the bright side,  a very smart woman pointed out to me that just because the receivers of books do not forward them on to others on this site, they may yet share them with family and friends.  I like this point of view and I'm going to think of it this way. 

Thanks to everyone!

P.S. Do people actually throw books away? Really? I can understand unpostables, but perfectly fine books? Thrown?  I have to go lie down.

I can say that basically any book I request or WL is not going to be passed on. That is because I use the site to get books for my classroom library on the cheap. So while it may seem like a lot of books hit me and then stop their travels, they'll be getting a lot of use by a lot of people!

Also, let's say the sender could put contingencies on the sending. If a requester says no to a wish list book, they get put to the end of the wish list, correct? So that person would have waited (potentially) a long time for a book only to get a contingency on a book that they were planning to keep and have to turn it down. That would not be very fair to them when they had to wait months or more to get back to the top of the list.

I don't really care what people do with the books I send them.  Why would I?  And having them pass the book on to another PBS member has nothing to do with me. I  have no interest in monitering that kind of thing. The social aspect of PBS is on the message boards.  There is very little social transaction with the actual book trades. 

If you are looking to socialize on PBS then I suggest you check out the various genre forums and the games forum.