Bookcrossing

Have you ever heard about Bookcrossing?

It means releasing books in the wild. I heard about this concept in the radio probably 5 years ago and at the time I thought I would never find a free book anywhere. Then suddenly in February this year I found a book in the lobby of the school I am teaching in. I was wondering who had forgotten the book there. I was so excited when I found out a book which was released.

It goes like this. You can register books from your bookshelf to Bookcrossing. Then you get an ID-number for the book and you have to add labels and the ID-number to the book cover. Then you just release it; leave it somewhere for other people to find it and read it. You must also make a journal entry to the Bookcrossing webpage about where and when you released the book.

If you find a book, you go to the webpage, fill in the ID-number of the book and make a journal entry where and when you found it and what are your intentions: are you going to read it or release it again. For this you don’t even have to be a member.

When I found the first book I joined when I reported it found. I read about other books and releases. There were many interesting stories about books which were lost for a long time and then suddenly popped up far away from where they originally were released. By far away I mean the other side of the earth.

I read the book and I took it with me to London. I intended to release it there but all the metro stations and trains were filled with warnings about not leaving anything behind because it was suspected to be a bomb. I again took it with me to Israel but forgot to leave it there. My daughter took it with her and finally left it in Rome. Any entry about anyone finding it has not shown up.

You can also find out where in your neighbourhood you could find books that are released but not reported to be found. My daughter who has already released some books gave me a hint that people leave books under the huge Christmas tree in front of the Dome of Turku. I went to look and I found one :)

I have been thinking to release my own books, too. Frankly I have too many in my bookshelves anyway. I think I’ll do it next summer when I have more time to do all the preparations.