Paperbackswap.com is an interesting site that allows you to "swap" paperbacks with members of the site. The site and the books you swap are completely free. All you pay for is shipping.
The way the site works is you post books you are willing to mail to other members. When someone requests a book and you send it to them you are given one credit. Each credit you earn represents a book that you can request from another member. Plus just for signing up, which again is free, you get 1 or 2 credits to start out. So just by signing up you get at least 1 free paperback of your choice!
This is kind of like the netflix of books with the exception that its free! Did I mention that its free?
You might be saying, "Isn't this what the library does?" And the answer, of course, is yes. However the one big difference is that you get to keep the book forever if you choose.
Personally, I have only requested books that I know I am going to use over and over with my classes (The Worldly Philosophers) or a rare book that I can't find anywhere else (Fear and Loathing on the '72 Campaign Trail)...even at the library.
There is even a wish list feature so that if they do not have a book available (currently there are close to 4 million books available) they will email you when it does.
The only drawback of participating would be that you do have to pay to mail a book (but not to receive), which is about $2.35 if you are using media mail. However, $2.35 seems like a very reasonable price to pay for a book that you either plan to keep or one that has been very hard to find.
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