Book Crossing

S2333 · Post by **S2333** » 23 August 08 1:44 am

Hi everyone,

I found out about this new activity called Book Crossing last night.
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http://www.bookcrossing.com/
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It involves registering a book.
Labelling the book to tell others it is in this game.
Release the book into an obvious place so others will find it.
Wait and hope somebody will find it.
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I tried it today but so far nobody has confirmed they have picked it up.

CaleD · Post by **CaleD** » 23 August 08 5:51 am

Far from new!

This has been around for a while... it's a great idea. Sort of like caching, but without a GPS! From memory, there are actually a few cachers who are involved with this.

wombles · Post by **wombles** » 23 August 08 9:43 am

I've been a Bookcrosser since 2004. I've released books into caches occasionally. On average about 10% of your releases get "caught" and journalled.
The Bookcrossing community is a wonderful group. The world convention is on in Christchurch in April. One of the organisers (and a good friend of mine) is also a cacher and she has a Geocaching activity planned for one of the days.

Damo. · Post by **Damo.** » 23 August 08 11:33 am

There has been caches which are bookcrossing themed.

Couple in the ACT
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gcyh7f
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gc11zbf
In NT
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gcrxae
And NZ
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gc1b9h4

And a locationless you can log if you participate.
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/ga0727

mundoo · Post by **mundoo** » 23 August 08 11:54 am

wombles wrote:I've been a Bookcrosser since 2004. I've released books into caches occasionally. On average about 10% of your releases get "caught" and journalled.

I have been a bookcrosser since 2003. For a long time I was Australia's top bookcrosser with the most amount of books registered and released.

Most books left in the 'wild' get caught (they get picked up and are gone from where you left them), not many actually get journalled. My percentage of journalled catches would be less than 10%

The world convention is on in Christchurch in April. One of the organisers (and a good friend of mine) is also a cacher and she has a Geocaching activity planned for one of the days.

I went to the NZ Convention in 2005 and had a great time. The geocacher mentioned (hello Lesley

) was looking for a cache at one of the walking tours and I went over to her and asked if she had found it. She was surprised I knew what she was doing. She didn't find it that time and I have since realised (and so has she as she has logged it) that it was a virtual cache. I logged it in waymarking later as I had pics to support my being there.

listmaker · Post by **listmaker** » 23 August 08 1:40 pm

That looks great! Love the caching connection, too.

I send most of the books I buy out into the world via friends or by donation to op shops once I've read them. It would be awesome to see who the next reader was. I've stumbled across a few of mine in op shops and second hand book shops over the years, with my first name still written in them.

wombles · Post by **wombles** » 23 August 08 6:58 pm

I've logged the locationless one.

Mundoo Did I meet you at the convention in SA?

We did a lot of caching during the release walks at the Wellington Bookcrossing convention and Lesley and I cached our way from Christchurch to Picton on our way to the convention.

I've been to conventions in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane and cached during them.

mundoo · Post by **mundoo** » 23 August 08 8:48 pm

wombles wrote: Mundoo Did I meet you at the convention in SA?

Maybe, maybe not.

I was at the Adelaide one on the Friday night only. I did mingle that night. Flitterby and I came together and we went back to her house afterwards. I came in early and had a get-together with Lesley and others at the cafe next door. I travelled 200km for the Friday night only.

I made a decision not to attend the rest as there was a fair bit of hostility between the organisers and myself.

Them calling me names didn't help.

Actually in writing this I realise I still carry a fair bit of angst from that convention.

wombles · Post by **wombles** » 24 August 08 10:54 am

I did meet you then as I met Flitterby and I was with Lesley most of the weekend, we went caching before she went to meet you at the cafe.
My bookcrossing name is wombles

totalube · Post by **totalube** » 24 August 08 2:44 pm

As if I didn't need another web based activity that becomes obsessive.

I will be looking through me bookshelf today. It sounds like a lot of fun.

I may even publish a book crossing cache.

Thanks for the heads up.

wombles · Post by **wombles** » 24 August 08 4:49 pm

that would be great totalube seeing as there aren't any Bookcrossing caches in Qld.

crane2 · Post by **crane2** » 25 August 08 8:35 pm

I am alos an occasional bookcrosser - one of my books made it to the Solomen islands and one to NZ, but most have just disappeared off the face of the earth. It's a bit like a Geocoin, once you have set a book free, you have no control over it's destiny.