Good site for borrowing books?

May 16, 2006 9:09 AM

Can anyone recommend a good site for borrowing books online? Physical books I mean, not e-books. I've found Booksfree; are there any others out there?
posted by JanetLand to media & arts (10 comments total)

Many libraries have online catalogs that will let you reserve books. Sometimes they'll even mail books to you for a fee.
posted by beerbajay at 9:17 AM on May 16, 2006

Is there a problem with Maine public libraries? The Bangor one says:

The Library has one of the highest per capita circulation rates in the United States and sends more interlibrary loans each year than any other Library in New England. Any Maine resident may use the Library and borrow books from its collection.

posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 9:17 AM on May 16, 2006

Oh, it's not for me; I'm asking on behalf of a friend whose daughter has a problem going to libraries; don't ask me why, I was afraid to enquire further. Anyway, I thought I remembered some site several years ago that let you borrow books for just the postage or something, so I figured I'd ask.
posted by JanetLand at 9:31 AM on May 16, 2006

What about BookCrossing? Works best if you're in a densely populated area.
posted by darsh at 9:51 AM on May 16, 2006

PaperBackSwap? (Never used it myself)
posted by ijoshua at 9:53 AM on May 16, 2006

I'm asking on behalf of a friend whose daughter has a problem going to libraries; don't ask me why,

Libraries I know let you reserve books and setup loans online. You only need someone to pick up the books from the circulation desk. Some even, for a random example, have special programs where readers

may be eligible to receive this service. Materials are mailed to the borrower's home in postage-free containers.

posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 10:05 AM on May 16, 2006

Could she use the library to reserve things online and then have someone else pick them up?
posted by blue_beetle at 10:14 AM on May 16, 2006

There is a site I linked on Mefi a while back. Mediachest. Looks like they're still around.
posted by zpousman at 10:33 AM on May 16, 2006

Portland OR library will mail them to you for $1.00 each, but I don't know how you're supposed to get them back to the library (I guess you pay to ship it back?)
posted by j at 10:52 AM on May 16, 2006

I second paperbackswap.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 6:35 AM on May 17, 2006