What are these?

I've been wondering that as well.

Check out www.bookcrossings.com

All the information is on that site.

Check out this site. It's a system where people put a tracking number in a book and pass it on to other people in the hopes that others will log the book. (It's like Where's George for books.)

Some people at PBS request no-Book Crossing books because some members get overzealous with marking their books by using stickers and stamps all over the place. Most books simply have a sticker inside the front cover, and maybe a small sticker on the outside as well. Others don't like feeling obligated to log the book, or are planning to add the book to a permanent collection (which would essentially halt the travels of the book).

Personally, I like seeing where a book has traveled so I continue the log of the ones I get.  I haven't ever started one though.

Thanks for explaining.  I checked the site out so now I know a little bit about it.

It's odd that the books I've gotten were logged in a couple or three yearsa ago and none or only one person has done it before I got it. It was odd. It is neat to see where they've been. As long as who ever sends them doesn't put stickers on the cover they're neat to get.

A couple of years with no activity is not at all unusual.

Especially if they make their way to my house, where they may sit in my TBR mountain waiting their turn to be read.......

Although I have conditions about no bookcrossing books, I recently received several from someone new. She had put a 2" x 4"  sticker on the front of the book which, for a paperback, is approx. 1/3 of the cover.  This was in addition to stamps and stickers inside the book.  I did get my credits back, however she was very defensive and felt that since these books are allowed, she could put stickers wherever she felt like. I tried to steer her to the discussion forums to see what already been written and she was not interested.

i do bookcrossing although i have never gotten a book myself and most of what i release while in decent shape is not postable here. i put one sticker on the front and one on the inside thats it. i dont see the point in labeling it all to heack, and the stickers i use are easily peeled off the front with no damage to it.

Stickers on the cover of books is why most don't want book crossing books. They're fine on the inside of the cover but I don't want them on the outside myself.

I've been curious about that bookcrossing site. I was thinking about doing it with some of the more popular books I have that everyone seems to have - Danielle Steele, Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark etc.

Well, she can, but she has to respect your conditions!

(Yes, some BXers are a bit overzealous.  However, so are some bookstores with stickers all over the cover!)

I just got my first one - am I a heel if I don't release it (because I may want to keep it?).  Although, I'm realizing I have some that aren't postable here that I should just sign up for and release.

Mimi, no, not at all. Go and journal it and there will be an option for it's a keeper. Everyone who sends them out loves to hear where their books end up and that works too if it's a keeper.

I don't understand why people continue to use the stickers when you can print out a bookmark and just stick it in the front cover or wherever.  Doesn't mess anything up and if the person doesn't want anything to do with it they can just toss the bookmark away.

Because we want the # to stay with the book.  And bookmarks are bloody easy to loose!

I hate it when I receive a BX book with a bookmark.  I have to keep track of it until I can tape it in so I don't lose it.   Such a pain!

To turn it around, I don't see why people can't just ignore the small sticker on the inside cover if they don't want to participate.   That's how most BX books are labeled.

The number stays with the book?  How on earth do you lose a bookmark?

To turn it around, I don't see why people can't just ignore the small sticker on the inside cover if they don't want to participate. 

If everyone marked their books as you do, there wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunatly, your method appears to be the exception rather than the rule.

I just got my first bookcrossing book, and it had the number neatly handwritten on the facing page inside the cover.  I posted it to BX and found it had been sent to a PBS'r, probably the same one I got it from (same town), 7 months ago.  Pretty interesting. 

I'll probably do this with some of mine.  Since I travel a bit, I may release some in airports, or hotels in distant cities.

Thanks! I joined today, and ordered a welcome pack.

I have gotten 2 bookcrossing books and joined the site when I got the first one and entered both books.  The first one I got just had the sticker inside and the second one (just got it today) had a post-it type note on the front (so easy to remove, even though I haven't removed it yet, and may not remove it) and the sticker on the inside.  I have no problem if the sticker is just on the inside, or if there is the post-it like sticker on the front, but I don't like stickers (even price stickers) all over my books, so I would not be too happy if I got a book with BX stickers all over the cover.  A lot of the books I order from here are books I want to keep, so I may not pass on the BX ones at all.  The first one I got I will pass on once I get the omnibus edition that I have wishlisted, but the second one I just got today I may keep - haven't decided yet.

I have been a bookcrossing member for about a month now and heven't released any yet, mostly because I haven't shipped any books in a while (no money) and all my books are in good shape and can be posted here.  I do think BX is a neat idea, though, and will release some books in the future.

-Layne

The BX books I've received are either written all over OR have a huge sticker on the cover and or title page. I've never seen a small, respectful sticker. I don't agree with defacing books, so book crossing is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Perhaps those of you who do it politely can let those of you who do not know how irritating it is to receive a defaced book.