Well, I guess it wasn't oddly wrapped, more like not wrapped.

I got a hard cover book in the mail today from a member.  It didn't have a dust jacket and it also was not wrapped.  I mean -at all.  The sender cut out the address from the the sheet it was printed on and then they taped it to the cover of the book.  I've never seen anything like it.  Honestly, I didn't think the post office would accept a package like this - because... well... there is no package. It's just a book with a label.  Fortunately, the book is fine.  (Hard to believe but true.)  I can't help but shake my head over the whole thing.

I guess this is one that they didn't have to "open for inspection".  lol

The post office will take naked mail.  A group of us on here played with it once and I got a ball in the mail with just an address sticker stuck to it.

Lucky for YOU the book arrived ok.

Don't I know it.  Considering how some of my tightly wrapped books arrive, I really can't fathom it.

The post office will pretty much mail anything non-hazardous that has postage!  Unfortunately, this does not guarantee safe delivery but thankfully for you the book arrived unharmed (except maybe the sticky label now attached to the book)! 

Wow! A naked book!  Sorry I've had too much wine.

I've received them scantily clad, but never naked!!  That's a first!

You learn something new everyday. I, too, received books in advanced stages of undress, although I don't think the sender intended for them to arrive that way. But I never received nekkid books. Hrm.

I seem to remember that wrapper taped to the cover of the book is a RWAP offense. Am I remembering incorrectly?

I hope they are a very new member and you were the first person they ever mailed a book to. I would send the mailer a friendly pm about it, if I were you. Only b/c where I live, we're going though a line of storms and even though my mailbox has never had issues leaking, many do. I see it as a courtesy to the next person they mail a book to.

I would definately put into the receiving survey that they did this and mention it to them.  They'll rack up a lot of complaints because it's really a  miracle that the book didn't arrive mangled.

I received a book in a similar way, but in my case it was in pieces rubber banded together with a "received damaged" tag from the post office.  Not cool.

Wow. This takes the cake. Would not wrapping at all count as a "poor wrap job?" 

And the docs do mention that tape should never be placed on book covers:

Use plenty of tape (2" shipping tape, not Scotch)

• especially at the corners and seams.
• You can get shipping tape at any store that sells stationery or shipping supplies.
• Do not apply tape directly to the book! This can damage the book when the package is opened.
  • If you apply tape directly to the book and it is then damaged when the package is opened, you will not receive a credit.
• Do not tape over the postage (USPS does not accept this)
• Do not apply postage to tape (it can fall off)
• It is okay to apply clear tape over the DC barcode if you are sending a package with PBS-DC or Printable Postage
  • If you do this, avoid wrinkles in the tape that can interfere with barcode scanning

Definately use the comment box one this one, and pm the sender.

I have a friend who sent her adult children nice, round pumpkins each October.  Not wrapped, and with the address right on the pumpkin.  A family tradition, I suppose.   I don't know if she still does this ... but I thought it was a cute idea.

Are you sure the sender did it?  A few years ago I received a hardcover in the mail (not a PBS book) with absolutely no envelope or box.  This was a Time-Life book which usually came in a cardboard wrapper.  My address was hand-written on a piece of paper stuck inside the book.   I'm guessing the wrapper got stuck in a machine and they just wrote my addy on paper and sent the book ahead.  Maybe that's what happened with this one.  I'd check with the sender before mentioning it in the survey.

Surprised none of the pages were torn.  What is the club stance on no wrapping??

My friend once sent me a pineapple from Hawaii with just a tag on it with my name and address.  Arrived in perfect condition!  I think you can send just about anything through the mail LOL.

I'm not positive that the sender sent it that way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the PO damaged the envelope and then just slapped the label on and delivered it.  It was sent DC and I can't help but think that if a member does that, they would also take care to wrap the book.  The member's profile is private so I don't know how long they have been a part of PBS and the wish list has no books on it. 

There was some talk a little while back about people who've had degrees of luck sending things in interesting packaging. Most note worth were the books sent in see thru bags and nothing else. But I've never heard of sending it just... hanging out there in the wild. Nature is hard on books! Poor thing!