Book sharing in Spain – a new form of bartering

Book sharing is offered by the online site: www.libroscompartidos.com. The way it works is really easy (and cheap):

• Sign up online to become a member – upon doing this you’ll be given 1 credit (1 book = 1 credit).
• Put information about the books you’ve already read (or are never going to get to read!) and no longer want so that other users can see what’s available.
• Search for books you’re interested in by type or location. If you want to look for books in a language other than Spanish put “inglés” or “English” in the search box To request a book, just click on the request (“solicitar”) button for the specific book and follow the instructions. The cost is 5,17€ (2011 rate) for transportation (courier) which you’ll have to pay when you receive the book.
• When you receive the book, enter into your account and confirm receipt.
• If one of your books is requested, you’ll be notified by e-mail. You can then confirm the day you want your book to be picked up by courier (free service).
• For every book that you give away, you’ll receive 1 credit. For each credit you have you can request another book.

On your online account you can see all the info about who’s requested your books and those books you’ve requested from others. Apparently you can also activate or deactivate your account according to when you’re available (the site suggests taking into account your holidays).

As an alternative to paying for the courier service (if the book is being donated from someone located in the city where you live) once you’ve requested a book you’ll be supplied with the current owner’s e-mail address so, if you want, you can get in touch directly to meet up and exchange ownership.

Another interesting feature is that you can donate your credits to non-profit organisations that Libros Compartidos works with. So, if you give away a lot of books and haven’t got time to read, why not put your credits to good use?

 

 

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