Swap.com and Swap4Schools....pretty awesome!

I've been holding out on writing this post for fear that maybe I just had good luck on my first few trades, but as I just received my fifth swap book in the mail in perfect condition, I thought it'd be useful to share this little gem with all my reader friends. 

I'm sure a lot of you do trades with others in your area, but this is not a luxury I have out here in the middle of country....so I had to improvise.  I found out about Swap.com from a co-worker a few months back and I've been hooked ever since. 

The short and sweet explanation is that Swap provides the connection for people to trade books with one another.  When you first join -which is free I might add-, you list any books you have laying around the house (or in my case still in boxes in the garage) that you are willing to part with, and add them into an "I Have This Book" category.  Then, you input books that you are feigning for in the "I Want This Book" category.  If there is someone else out there in the Swap world who has the book you want, and they also want any of the books that you are wanting to pass along to another happy reader, a Swap Notification is emailed.  For every trade, it costs 50 cents (!!!) and then the cost of shipping.  This just pulls at my frugal heart strings!

And you would think that saving me a ton of money for books I am wanting would have me in love with this site, but it turns out, there is something EVEN BETTER on their site that has me currently quite enamored.  The site has set up an opportunity for the millions of swappers who are part of the site to donate books to schools in need. 

Teachers, Administrators, and Librarians across the country can register their schools and input books that are in need for their students.  If you have a book listed in your "Have" section that any school across the country has listed as a need, rather than Swapping, it provides the opportunity to Donate your book instead. 

Basically, the bottom-line love I have is that it gives readers a voice, so to say.  The site has helped me find others across the country who have books I'm excited to read, and gives the other swapper the opportunity to have my book that they are excited to read.  And with Swap4Schools, its gives an opportunity to donate and give back.  I would strongly urge if you have family or friends who are involved in our school systems to share this site with them. 

Happy Friday!