I know PBS doesn't require the inner plastic wrapper, but it is just so thoughtful to use one.

I have a PO Box and so I assumed water damage would never be a problem for my mail. Wrong! Yesterday I received a book (no inner plastic wrapper) with an apology attached from the post office for damaging my book. Somehow it got dropped into water, one whole corner of the book, all the way through, swollen and distorted and now unpostable on PBS. 

So please, even if you are mailing to a PO Box, please use the inner plastic wrapper.

I always use a liner of plastic when mailing books but many people take the attitude that if you need a book wrapped in plastic, you should put it in an RC. This has been a hotly debated topic in the past and many people refuse to wrap in plastic for a multitude of reasons. I also have been told off by requestors for wrapping books in plastic that I sent to arid states, so sometimes you can't win.

While I always hope that books I request come with a plastic liner, I hate to use an RC because many people automatically turn RCs down, regardless of the RC, and I don't want to take a chance on missing out on a wishlist book because I have an RC attached, since many of the books I wish for become available rarely. So my point is, consider using an RC requesting books wrapped in plastic. But you need to decide if it is worth missing out on some books because of the RC.

I hate to use an RC because many people automatically turn RCs down,

I have an RC and I can tell you, that's simply not true. Sure, I've gotten a few turn downs that were non-related to my RC .... but that's out of hundreds of book orders. I order between 20 and 30 books a month, and I can say that I don't even get one turn down per month of my RC, for any reason, much less a wacky reason.

The people who deny all RCs are very vocal on the forums, but there are not many of them actually out there on PBS.

I don't have an RC for plastic on my requests because I never thought I needed one. I probably won't add one though and take my chances. I doubt it will happen again. Just would have been nice if the book had been plastic wrapped.

I did get a RC once from a person who asked that her book NOT be wrapped in plastic, so there are folks out there who don't care for the plastic wrapper. I'm not one of them, I always wrap the books I mail out in plastic first, even if it is going to a PO Box.,

Coiunt me in the FAVORS PLASTIC camp.

I also always wrap in plastic.  It has saved several of the books that have arrived to me (only inner plastic wrap saved them when they arrived to me with damaged outer envelopes -- the post office can be ROUGH on packages!) and I don't any longer feel I have to tape-mummify my packages I send out to help water-proof them.  So, because I use inner plastic, I only need to tape-reinforce edges and tape-protect the address info and no longer need to send (also hotly debated topic) mummified book packages!

It has saved several of the books that have arrived to me (only inner plastic wrap saved them when they arrived to me with damaged outer envelopes -- the post office can be ROUGH on packages!)

That is one of the main reasons that I always wrap in plastic...just yesterday I received a package of multiple books that had been wrapped in a single layer of brown paper, which was absolutely shredded. The only thing that saved my books from falling out enroute was the fact that they were in a plastic bag inside. I wrap in plastic as much to keep books I am sending from being damaged during shipping as to protect them from wet conditions when they arrive.

I always wrap in plastic, not matter where i am sending  a book. I wrapped one in a QVC plastic bag and I just check and it is going to Flordia, so it is safe from hurricanes! But i figure some of the country has snow on the ground, so I will always use plastic. I just makes sense to me.

I always honor "wrap in plastic" requests. Generally I try to make sure I'm doing everything I can to meet RC requests anyway  - but "wrap in plastic" is so easy that it's a no-brainer for me.

I too always protect with a plastic bag before packaging.  I find  alot of manilla envelopes, especially those lined with bubble wrap, get torn at the PO so the plastic protector is a must!

Asking people to wrap in plastic here on the forums doesn't do much good.  A very few percentage use the forums.  From what I've read on here most of us on forums already use plastic.

If you really WANT plastic that is what RC's are for.

I use plastic mailers so I generally don't add an additonal layer of plastic unless more than one book is going in the package.

I've also had several shipments saved by a layer of plastic around the book.  Usually when someone tries to re-use a bubble mailer too many times.  I always thank those senders for the extra plastic layer and let them know that that is what saved the book from being damaged.

My RC says "Please wrap in plastic to protect from inclement weather.  Thank you!"

I've never been turned down. 

My mail carrier walks the route, and if my books are on top of the bag, they get wet, so I have a plastic wrap RC.  I've had 3 turn downs in 3.5 years with hundreds of books ordered.  Two were "nah nah" snotty ones from people opposed to RCs.  One actually objected to the word "wrap" and turned it down because she "placed" books in "brand new plastic mailers and didn't wrap them.  Considering, that before adding the RC, I once got 3 water damaged books from heavy rain in 2 weeks and have gotten none since, I'm satisfied with the results. 

I usually use either tyvek plastic mailers or tyvek bubble mailers, so I don't add an extra layer of plastic inside.  But if someone has an RC to wrap in plastic, I'll always add an additional layer of saran wrap before putting the book in the tyvek mailer.

I agree with Sara; I've got an RC for no ex-library, DJs with hardbacks, and I've never been turned down for an off-topic reason. I suppose they could be lying and /saying/ something was ex-library or missing a dust jacket instead of saying "I hate RCs, you can bite me", but I doubt it somehow. I did use to get refusals on paperback requests for my dust jacket RC (sigh) but I rephrased it to try to make it more clear and haven't had that problem since.

So if you absolutely want an inner plastic layer, set up an RC. I try to include plastic when I'm wrapping MMPBs in the PBS wrappers (I usually use a leftover veggie bag from the grocery store, clean of course) but for bigger books I prefer to use bubble envelopes, which of course have their own layer of plastic built in.

Of all the books I've received I've had more holes in Tyvek type envelopes than any other!  They seem to get caught in the machines and while they won't tear open, it punches holes in them.  So if you think they are water proof, think again!  They are great and I use them but I still put that layer of plastic inside.

I agree with Coz.  We get many pacakges at work (interlibrary loans) on average it's around 20-30 per day. Those tyvek style envelopes are horrid. I'd say on average 7/10 come with some type of tear and thus the 'waterproof' is gone.    Plus water can get inside if you do not tape the end flaps.

Pretty much anything you do (even a metal box) does not stand up to the 'torture' USPS dishes out on its mail.    Dropping a package in a puddle, even plastic wrapped stuff can get wet unless the bag is sealed tightly and not just wrapped around.  (done it myself, had to buy a brand new library book)

I try to use some sort of plastic-- unless I use one of those bubble mailers. Since they have an inner layer of plastic, I consider that good.

Just a couple weeks ago, my fiance watched as the mail carrier pulled into our driveway, reached for our mail and dropped my book in a mud puddle. There was no plastic. Luckily, since my fiance saw it happen, he took it and opened it for me so it wouldn't get ruined! Since we get so much rain (and our postal carrier doesn't bother to shut our mailbox all the way) I have thought about an RC, but... Out of all the books I swapped, this was the only potential problem- so I'll let it go for now :)

I use the tyvek envelopes. I don't add an extra layer of plastic - I really don't have much plastic sitting around the hose any more and basically no storage space so it's simply not going to happen on a regular basis. If you really, really want an extra layer, a RC is the way to go. The I can simply turn you down and you won't be disappointed!

Regarding the "tearability" of tyvek--good to know.  Thanks Cozi and zengab for pointing it out.  I haven't had any complaints so far from people receiving books from me (knock on wood), but I do also tape down all the corners very well, so hopefully there's less of a chance for the packages getting caught in the evil machines at the post office!

Among other things, I use recycled tyvek envelopes with a layer of plastic inside, just in case.  I also tape the tyvek envelope to the shape of the book, so there aren't a bunch of loose edges for the machines to tear.  Haven't had a complaint yet, but that's not to say someone did find fault and just didn't tell me.

90% of the time, I'll put the books in a layer of plastic before the envelope.  But if I don't have it handy and think the envelope will get thru fine without it, or if I'm using a brand new bubble envelope, then I don't use it.  I agree with others, if you want your books wrapped in plastic, use an RC.  Just make it quick and to the point: "Please wrap all books in plastic.  Thank you."  I don't think there's tons of people that ignore RCs as a general rule.  I think there are tons of people who ignore long RCs, tho.

zeke- using as a wrap rather then traditonal envelope seems to be the way to go with those things.  

I also tape all the corners of my plastic mailers and tape the excess mailer down so it's securely wrapped around the book and the book's not in the envelope loose.  Never had a complaint either and there's nothing loose that could get caught in the machinery.

I think whatever wrapping material you use the key is taping it tight against the book in both directions.

A dollar store thin plastic party tablecloth or shower curtain, can be cut into enough pieces to wrap a lot of books with a thin layer of waterproofing.

I always wrap in plastic no matter what kind of outer wrap I use.