My apologies to those who have heard of this scheme elsewhere. I'm trying to reach as many active BookCrossers as possible. BookCrossing is all about setting books free on their own voyages of discovery, right? We've all heard about books left at bus stops that found their way overseas and were heard from on mountaintops, at the foot of steep cliffs, on cruise liners, at bus stops etc.
Or books that travel in controlled fashion from BookCrosser to BookCrosser, often on equally exciting journeys. Well, now it's time to take the thing one step further. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you BookCrosser Exchange! That's right, we're sending BookCrossers around the world or across the Atlantic or whatever to attend BookCrossing conventions they might not otherwise be able to attend, and in the process meet as many other BookCrossers as possible. And then we dump them at a bus stop, dazed and happy, and writing up their travel journals for all to read. The principles of BookCrosser Exchange are: 1. Travelling BookCrossers are selected by their peers, by public vote in a Yahoo group, by poll at the BookCrosser Exchange site, whatever is convenient and acceptable. 2. Funds are raised through donation. 3. The travellers will, assuming enough money is raised, travel to the convention nominated, visit as many other BookCrossers along the way as possible, and report their adventures, through blogs and journals and photographs, for the benefit of those who couldn't attend. 4. The travellers then help to administer the next round(s). I'm kicking off the first round with a bang. I'm in the process of decluttering after many years of accumulating books and stuff for my online second hand bookshop, which I no longer have time for. I'm now a taxidriver. I'm throwing into the BookCrosser Exchange pot all the tips I earn from my passengers, and whatever I can make through selling off my book stock and other clutter. (My wife is intent on redecorating my office into a family room, and hiring a skip to get rid of all the rubbish. I love her more than a bunch of old books, but I don't want to just throw all this stuff away.) On the strength of this, I arranged for a vote amongst New Zealand BookCrossers for a representative to travel to the 2008 Anniversary Convention in London for the purpose of promoting the 2009 Anniversary Convention to be held in Christchurch. Futurecat won the ballot, by one vote from Teotakuu. I looked at all my books, took a great big gulp, and undertook to send both to London, continuing on around the world (the cost of going all the way around turns out to be not a lot greater than going halfway and back again). What I'm now looking for is help with expenses and accommodation, and ongoing support in the years to come to send more BookCrossers on similar trips. I envisage several different rounds per year, sending Australians and New Zealanders across the Tasman, Americans and Europeans across the Atlantic, Southern Hemisphereans across the Equator... The inaugural site is now open for discussion, information, and donations. I expect it to evolve with input over time. I expect some of the BookCrossers reading this now to become travellers in future rounds. Ladies and Gentlemen, please point your browsers to the BookCrosser Exchange site here: http://www.bcx.bounce.com.au/ There is also a shared blog community here: http:// community.livejournal.com/bcxchange -- Peter (Skyring) in Canberra [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Have you told a friend today? http://bookcrossing.com/tellafriend Archives and email list settings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
