In response to Jasmine S: I always look to see if a member I am requesting a book from has more books I want but usually they don't. I look at WL multiples in the Book Bazaar and find a few I want but the member might require me to request 1-3 additional books from their bookshelf but there isn't anything on their shelf I am the least bit interested in. I know there are members who really don't want to send single books but I am not going to request books I neither want nor need to get the 1 or 2 I do. The vast majority of books I send are singles. The vast majority of books I request are singles. That is probably true for most active members. I don't see PBS "retooling" the site for members who only want to deal in multiples. Yes, it would be lovely to have PBS work exactly as I would like it, but it strikes me as an unrealistic expectation. Its easy to say that "it wouldn't be difficult" to totally change the way the system is set up if you're not the one doing the work. It is set up as most members seem to use it, that's good enough for me.

Sally

I also send singles...but fewer and fewer. And again, the point to me is to make the site work for a large number of people so we get a large range of books and get the site more active again. So it's not just what works for you. Or for me. But for the people that aren't participating and might.

As I see it, my request to PBS for better ways to send multiples isn't a retooling - it's a fix to the core failing business issue facing PBS as fewer and fewer people mail books.

The options I outlined aren't especially difficult. I'm a former web developer and current web strategist & architect - I help build web sites and tools for a living. It's certainly work but it's way more valuable than many of the other things they put energy into.

That said, I'm not naive. I know PBS won't do it - the rollout of the membership fees and of the $3 credit price taught me that they are in maintenance mode - keeping the site breathing but not really interesting in keeping it growing and improving.

That is entirely their right but it doesn't mean I'm not disappointed :)