Please Mr. Postman look and see, if there’s a book in your bag for me…
For years I worked in book retail. We tried to be as accomodating to our customers as possible and lenient with our return policy. As a result we had several customers whom we knew by sight and by name who abused our kindness. They would come in a stack of books that had obviously been read to exchange them for other items. Inevitbably one or more staff members would discreetly make comments about us not being a library or “rental service.”
I always thought that a book rental service actually made good sense in the same way that video rentals make sense. After you have read the latest spy novel, or Oprah’s Book Club title, do you really want to keep it around taking up space. Some books are keepers, but most are meant to be read and then gotten rid of.
Now Booksfree.com has put together a rental/trading model that makes sense. For as little as $9.99 a month they send you a stack of books through the mail. When you finish them, you return them in the provided postage free packaging and they send you another bunch of books. Unlimited rentals, free shipping (both ways), no due dates, no late fees, cancel anytime. Cool. Yes, it works just like NetFlix or Blockbuster Total Access.
With a new baby in the house, child #5, I’m not going to be getting much reading done for awhile. But I thought I would pass along the info for those of you who can take advantage of this.
Good reading!
