Please remember to wrap the book in saran wrap or some other type of moisture proof wrapping. I received 2 books today, 1 a wish list, that were not wrapped in anything but the printing paper. It's been very humid here and finally decided to rain, so when I got home to check the mail the pbs wrappers were wet and it looks as though the pages may be wavy, making the books unpostable. 

Have a great day!

It's not a requirement to wrap books in anything except the PBS wrapper, if you want to make sure the books you recieve are wrapped in plastic you will need to make it a requestor condition.

Or get a waterproof mailbox :)

I realize it's not a requirement. One of these people was already nice enough to refund my credit after it was marked received with a problem. Now that person is out the money they paid to ship the book and didn't even get a credit for it. Just thought others would like to know what could happen if they don't use something water proof.

My mailbox is water proof, it must have got wet going from the postal carrier to the mailbox, and the humidity.

Leann, I understand your frustration, but how is that RWP?  They wrapped the book according to PBS guidelines, you, I gather, do not have a plastic wrap restriction.  I'm truly sorry you got wet books, but how, exactly, was it the sender's fault? 

It was very nice fo the person to give you back your credit, but hardly required, IMO.

Yeah, I'm sort of agreeing with Beth.  It's too bad the books got damp, but the sender shouldn't be out her credit, IMO, too.

Beth, you can RWP if the book was damaged by the PO.  I would consider a book (or any package for that matter) arriving wet as being damaged by the PO.  In that case, however, I would not expect (or ask) for the sender to refund the credit.  It wasn't technically their fault since waterproofing is not a PBS requirement. 

I didn't ask for the credit back. The person insisted I take it, & that if she were in this situation she would like to have hers refunded for receiving a book that was unpostable. I never said it was the senders fault, I just marked it RWP, because it was received with a problem...water damage. I just noted to the sender that it was marked this way because it got water damage. I may of even marked it RWP by usps now that I think about it.

I also have to say that if I had sent a book without a water proof wrapping and it got damaged I would probably feel guilty for not taking precautions in preventing the damage and refund the credit as well. It was just out of kindness this person did this, & I greatly appreciate it.

The purpose of this post was just to encourage others to use water proof wrapping to prevent damage to books!

When I first started I read about the plastic wrap.  I LOVE BOOKS!!  So I first wrap mine in plastic, then the two page printout, then tape the overlape seam, then completely wrap ends.  I would vote to make the plastic wrap a requirement if it was possible.

Deborah

<<I would vote to make the plastic wrap a requirement if it was possible.>>

It is possible -- you can make it an RC, or at least request it in your RCs.  I already have an asthma-related RC, and have found it helpful to add the following statement to my RCs:

"Lastly, though this is not a requestor condition or requirement for sending, I politely urge you to please consider a waterproof layer when sending books to me as protection from the elements.  It can be simple and recycled, such as a plastic newspaper or grocery bag and does not add much weight.  I live in Kansas; if you've seen the Wizard of Oz, you know what the weather here can be like :-)"

Obviously, if you don't live in Kansas you'll have to find your own weather disaster movie :-)  I've not had anyone decline to send based on the waterproof request, but have noticed a significant increase in waterproof wrappers and, thus, drier books.

Cheers,

Catt

Beth, you can RWP if the book was damaged by the PO. 

Yes, you abolutely can.  No argument there, Stephanie.  I would disagree that being wet is Damaged by PO, but that is, perhaps, a personal choice and interpretation.

The purpose of this post was just to encourage others to use water proof wrapping to prevent damage to books!

Which is perfectly reasonable.  I think it's possible some of us misunderstood (Me, apparently. :-) and that you were saying "please remember to use plastic or this, too, might happen to you"  (meaning the RWP)   I would not mark books RWP in this situation since I think it an unfortuante, but "no fault" situation.  Others' milage may vary, of course.

I know that I recently received a book on a day that we had torrential downpours and if they hadn't wrapped in plastic my book would have been had water damage.  I kept my fingers crossed while unwrapping the paper portion.  I was very thankful to see it wrapped in plastic.

I know I wrap in plastic because I wouldn't want to see a book damaged while in transit if it is something I can help avoid

I wrap in plastic.  I always HOPE that people will wrap in plastic.  I always thank those who do.  I always take the time to ask people who don't to consider doing so in the future citing some of the conditions that books can (and do) encounter in their journeys.  Some of those conditions aren't only water...some can be machinery that eats through both the paper wrappers but seems to slide over the plastic.  I don't put RC's because I would prefer to get a readable unpostable book than none at all since I know some people just see the RC label and immediately decline.  I've been very fortunate with receiving books in good condition no matter what.  My actual worst problem is my PO which tends to lose books.  I don't know where they put them, but they don't seem to want to deliver them to me and sometimes not to people I mail to.  I've been able to counter the last problem at times by having DH mail them from his work place in another county which has it's own direction shipping center so that the books do not have to go to Richmond first.  But it's my PO and not Richmond at fault.  this is one more reason I don't put the plastic wrap as a RC - added to the poor service by my PO I'd get much fewer books than I do.  I've not asked anyone for a credit for damage done to a book in transit.  Life's too short.

For me, wrapping in a layer of plastic whatever is a no brainer, especially with all of the rain we have had. I wrap in plastic whether or not there is a RC for it.

I wrap in a layer of waxed paper usually, and then the paper, or what-have-you. I don't like the idea of trying to wrap plastic wrap, and putting tape in it, hoping it'll hold, but waxed paper seems to work, especially if i cover all seams with tape.  =)

I don't understand the chest-thumping by members who wrap their books in plastic.  I do sometimes wrap books in plastic (old newspaper bags), but I have never had a recipient complain that my books, plastic-wrapped or not, arrived with water damage. 

However, I do a lot of other things that (like wrapping in plastic) are not required by PBS, but I don't feel the need to start a self-congratulatory thread about how courteous I am to do these things and "remind" other members that they "need" to do these optional steps. 

If you want your books wrapped in plastic, make it an RC, but please remember that otherwise it is not a requirement. 

Woah.  I have watched this thread, but hadn't posted yet until that last comment, as I think most all was said - but Patti, I can easily see from Leann's post, that this thread was not posted with the intention of "chest-thumping" or bragging or tooting our own horns (insert whatever idiom you like). 

I, for one, find it helpful to read about other member's experiences and problems that have been encountered and their subsequent solution.  PBS in their Tutorial for wrapping a book, for example, does NOT use plastic wrap.  Though, it is mentioned in the mailing/print wrapper guidelines that plastic wrap is a good idea.  

Leann and many of the other posters here are, I'm sure, aware that the plastic wrap is not a requirement.... however, this site is really about sharing books, and also sharing ideas that make that process go smoother . The fact is that water damaged books are unpostable here - that makes them unable to be shared again.  Regardless of whose FAULT the water damage is,  there are many places blame COULD be put, I think the point is that one way to help ensure that water damage does NOT occur is able to be controlled - by adding a plastic shield by the sender.  It is a courtesy to do so, not a requirement (that has already been stated).  Maybe you have been lucky enough to NOT have problems in sending books without plastic.  The fact is that problems do occur in this area.   Having a RWP, whether my credit is lost or not, ts just one more problem in my life I DON"T need.   A box of saran wrap can be got for a dollar at the dollar store, will last me months, won't add weight, and prevents possible stress. 

I am glad to know of leann's experience.  glad to have the reminder about WHY plastic is a good idea, and certainly don't think she (or anyone else here) is raising a parade in their plastic-wrapping honor.... just trying to be helpful -- I'm sorry you dont' see it so...

Kimberly,

Thanks you for stating the purpose of my post.

Pattie,

I realize it's not a requirement. I was just wanting to let others know what happens when books aren't wrapped in plastic...they get ruined and become unpostable. I'm not telling you that you must wrap in plastic or bragging that I do. I just hate to see perfectly good books get ruined. I'm not saying all books that aren't wrapped in plastic get ruined. I've received plenty of books just in the printed wrapper that arrived to me just fine. I didn't mean for my post to sound demanding to have to do so or cocky in any way, and I apologize if you received it this way.

I also appreciate all the other folks here who have posted your ways and tips for wrapping in waterproof materials. Like the wax paper...what I great idea. I wouldn't have thought of that.

Thanks & Have a great day :)

I do consider wet books to be damaged by the PO.  My mailbox is protected from the rain, so if it gets wet getting to the mailbox the PO didn't have the mail covered.  Standard envelopes aren't waterproof (and I think it would be silly if they were) so I expect the PO to take reasonable procauations to keep the mail dry. 

I received 2 books that I received in a deal the other day where 1 of them had wavey pages on the bottom corner about half way through the book. The books weren't wrapped in plastic, only an envelope. I have no idea if the one book was mailed that way or got wet during transit. I didn't know what to do so I just send a PM to the member. I never received any response from the member. I just marked received and left it at that because I really wanted to read the book.  I had no idea how to mark it?

Periodically its not a bad idea to have post touting the benefits of plastic.  For those is fair weather mailing situations such as mine, I had not clue that mail and packages could get wet.  I have never lived anywhere that my mail has gotten wet.

Once I heard about the problems some folks had with water, I have wrapped my books in plasic wrap as an added measure.  I have big roll from Cosco that STILL hasn't run out... and I have sent over 100 books using it.

Yes, I know that its not a requirement... but its a nice thoughtful thing to do if you can.  If you can't, no problem.

Hmm...I usually send my books in a bubble envelope. (I don't have a printer - actually, I do, I've just been too lazy to set it up! - so it's easier for me to just reuse bubble envelopes I've gotten other items in than to run to the library to print.) Do you think this covers the waterproofing, since the bubble wrap on the inside of the envelope is plastic?

If no one ever trumpeted the benefits of wrapping in something waterproof, then none of the new-to-forums members would ever learn about it!

I would never have thought about the waxed paper if i had not read about wrapping in plastic, and i thought, well i don't have any of THAT but i do have waxed paper! And, i know that wax is waterproof, so voila!

So, i say, mention is periodically, regardless of what people think, because there is always someone coming here who doesn't know all the ropes. I would not know half of what i do about the site if it were not for concerned members here enlightening the masses. The Help Center is helpful, but i bet not a lot of people bother checking there for info. I know i didn't, at first!

Wouldn't wax paper melt a waxy film on the book in hotter climates?

I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to say anything becuase I thought maybe I was the only one thinking that way....