BookCrossing

Category: Business

This free service enables anyone to tag a book with a unique I.D. number that is registered with the BookCrossing web site, and then to "release" the book by giving it to somone else or by leaving it in a public place to be discovered by a stranger. The recipient or finder of a released book can then go to the BookCrossing web site and read about the book's previous travels, adding notes of his/her own about how it was found, whether he/she enjoyed reading it, and how he/she plans to release it to the next reader. In addition to the basic activities of registering, reading, and releasing books, the web site has been a springboard for special projects such as book rings, online literary discussions, face to face meetups, and special themed releases in which books are given away to complement an occasion or location.