I have a set of cookbooks.  Each one has its own ISBN number.  The books are spiral bound and around 50 pages each.  Are these ok to post? So far,  I have  found one of the books listed in the system using its ISBN number, but the binding states "paperback".  I'm not sure if a spiral bound book is considered a paperback.

Yes, they can be considered paperback (if it's not a hardcover spiral)...the item you will want to check is page count.  Phamplets are not postable (even those with ISBN), and I don't remember the dividing line between small books and pamphlets, it's in the swapability guidelines.

From the guidelines:

Not allowed:

• Anything that is not a book (this includes calendars, coloring books, blank journals)
• Anything that contains advertising (such as single-issue comic books or comic book digests or magazines)
• Advance Reader Copies* (also known as ARC s, Review Copies or Uncorrected Proofs--these are not the final versions of books)
• CD-ROM books/e-books (books that must be read on a computer)
• Burned copies of audio books
• Xerox or otherwise unoriginal copies of books
• Electronic media of any kind
• Unbound pages
• Music recordings, spoken-word recordings (these can be swapped at SwapaCD)
• leaflets or pamphlets or booklets** without ISBNs (other members complain at spending a credit for these)
• Brochures/Promotional "first chapters" of books - these are not complete books, even if they have an ISBN
• Books that require supplementary non-media materials to be useful (non-media materials cannot be sent by MediaMail, and original non-media materials cannot be expected to be included with a used book)
• Pornography (sex manuals and erotica are allowed, hardcore pornography is not allowed)
• Supplementary media alone (without the book they originally accompanied)
• Audio language courses without accompanying bound book.  (if audio tapes/CDs ARE accompanied by a book they are considered a bound book with accompanying media, and swap for 1 credit. They are not "audio books," which are books read aloud by a narrator.)

*ARCs may be swapped "unofficially" in the Book Bazaar Discussion Forums.  They may not be Posted to a PBS Bookshelf.

**A leaflet/pamphlet is an item with fewer than 20 pages; a booklet is an item with between 20 and 50 pages that is not a children's book. Children's books often have less than 50 pages and are not considered booklets just because of their short pagelength.

Please note: if you Post an inappropriate item for swapping, it may be removed from the database as an automatic action without notice; if it has been requested from you before that happens, you will not get credit for sending it.

AND ANOTHER SECTION:

Pamphlets/Booklets/leaflets without ISBNs: NO

• These sometimes contain advertising; members also complain at having to pay a credit for these.
• Leaflets = non-children's books with less than 20 pages
• Booklets = non-children's books with less than 50 pages
• Leaflet/pamphlets/booklets with ISBNs may be posted
  • if so, the number of pages must be included in the item description.
• Children's books do not count as booklets or leaflets, even if they are short.
  • Children's books can be expected to have short pagelengths and the booklet/leaflet designations do not apply.

I've gotten spiral-bound cookbooks and they're postable. The listing should state spiral bound though. I think. Lemme go look...

These are spiral books:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/101-Things-Chicken/book/1423600282/

http://www.paperbackswap.com/365-Ways-Cook-Cheryl-Sedaker/book/0060172371/

The first one states it's spiral, the second one says paperback even though I know it's a spiral book (with paperback covers). I ordered it and the ISBN matches. Looks like either is acceptable.

I think you might get differing answers, technically it would be best if a spiral bound book is listed as such. But, if you were setting up a listing yourself you would not get the spiralbound option, the closest you could get is paperback, so I think you will be ok posting it to a paperback listing. A "paperback" listing should really encompass any and all soft covered books.

The key to a book like that I think is to make sure that the page count is clearly listed before posting.

I have previously contacted TPTB about posting a paperback spiral bound book I had where the ISBN on PBS was listed as a paperback.  There were no copies of the book posted.  I asked if I could post my spiral bound book to this paperback ISBN or if they'd be willing to change the binding type to spiral bound since there were no copies in the system and no one wishing.  They told me it was perfectly okay to post a spiral bound paperback to a paperback ISBN, as long as the paperback book was made as a spiral bound book and not something someone did on their own.