LFLs and Bookcrossing Zones

[+Max and 99]

An officer recently mentioned that almost any place can be a Book crossing zone (you can add any location on the B.C. Site). Honestly, I think those lists are ridiculous,  with many silly places added. Just my opinion.

 

Anyway, that got me wondering.... Since many Little Free Libraries are listed as Bookcrossing zones, that seems like a lot of duplication.  This is just something that came to mind. 

 

Edit. I changed my mind.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Max and 99

[+PISA-caching]

1 hour ago, Max and 99 said:

I think those lists are ridiculous

 

I agree. That's why I hardly post any Bookcrossing Zones waymarks. I just posted one in Austria (to have at least one) and one in Sweden, because there was no waymark in that category in Sweden so far. The problem is, that you can leave a book almost everywhere and people who leave a book on let's say a bench in a park create a Bookcrossing location so that others can go and grab that book. Over the years the list has grown and depending on how active the local Bookcrossing community is, the list of silly places can get very long.

 

Additionally, you will hardly find any books at any given Bookcrossing waymark, but you can almost be sure to find books at a Free Community Book Exchanges waymark.

[+T0SHEA]

Well, I will have to admit here in front of all and sundry that I have found a use for Bookcrossing Zones. I really like doing Lucky 7s. Every once in a while i will be short a department for a Lucky 7 and if I don't yet have the Entertainment department I will often look around for a Bookcrossing Zone that may help me out. It has, on occasion, worked!

Keith

[+iconions]

53 minutes ago, BK-Hunters said:

Well, I will have to admit here in front of all and sundry that I have found a use for Bookcrossing Zones. I really like doing Lucky 7s. Every once in a while i will be short a department for a Lucky 7 and if I don't yet have the Entertainment department I will often look around for a Bookcrossing Zone that may help me out. It has, on occasion, worked!

Keith

I guess that's easier than looking around and trying to force a turtle across the road!  LOL  (especially a REALLY angry 200 pound alligator snapping turtle) ummm, no thanks!)
 

[+Max and 99]

I do not deny that they can be a handy thing to have around (the book crossing zones, not the 200 lb. Snapping turtle!). Last time I rescued a huge one the fisherman at the lake we brought him to said "Yum! Dinner!"

[+T0SHEA]

3 hours ago, iconions said:

I guess that's easier than looking around and trying to force a turtle across the road!  LOL  (especially a REALLY angry 200 pound alligator snapping turtle) ummm, no thanks!)
 

 

Easier than pushing a wheeled frog across the road, too. 

Actually, we'd like to come across a turtle tiredly trundling to t'other trough. We don't have that category yet. 

Keith

 

[+iconions]

1 hour ago, BK-Hunters said:

 

Easier than pushing a wheeled frog across the road, too. 

Actually, we'd like to come across a turtle tiredly trundling to t'other trough. We don't have that category yet. 

Keith

 

I don't have that category, yet, either, but I'm not going to try to get it by escorting some humongo alligator snapping turtle across the road.  No, alligator snapping turtle crossings are NOT being suggested as a category! 

 

 

[+iconions]

4 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I do not deny that they can be a handy thing to have around (the book crossing zones, not the 200 lb. Snapping turtle!). Last time I rescued a huge one the fisherman at the lake we brought him to said "Yum! Dinner!"

...hopefully that was awhile back.  In Oklahoma, I thought I read that those (alligator snapping turtles, not the book crossing zones as we well know) were endangered in the state and were protected.  I have heard that they were good eating.  

[+Max and 99]

Another question about the bookcrossing category. Two books I wanted to drop off today at a bookcrossing zone did not have an ISBN. This is required for posting a waymark.

On a separate note: I almost always register the book on the Bookcrossing site. I couldn't find either of those two books by searching for the title, either! This was using two different search sites, including Google.

Does the category ever accept a title of there is no ISBN  on the book?

do you put a fake number for the ISBN and include a private message? Has anyone else run into this problem?

 

[+QuarrellaDeVil]

On 9/13/2018 at 9:34 PM, iconions said:

...hopefully that was awhile back.  In Oklahoma, I thought I read that those (alligator snapping turtles, not the book crossing zones as we well know) were endangered in the state and were protected.  I have heard that they were good eating.  

 

It's against the law in Oklahoma to kill, possess, or trap them.  One of my Turtle Crossing waymarks is an alligator snapper, and yeah, these guys are formidable.  I've seen video after video of "how to escort an alligator snapper across the road", and I really think they've got the turtle drugged.  Every one that I've encountered can turn on a dime very quickly  -- visions of Steve Austin versus the Venus Probe go through my head while I'm on my approach -- and I've never had the opportunity to grab onto the back of their shells to drag them backwards.  Much easier to trick them onto a blanket and then drag them across the road.  The one I encountered in Terral, OK needed another blanket to cover him up, as he was rather feisty.  "Hey, cool it, Junior, I'm trying to save you!"  Dummy was right in the middle of a public street on the edge of town, simply uncaring, and I wish I had video of all the cars that would just go around him.

[vulture1957]

I always thought that the entries in Bookcrossings were supposed to be "Official Book Crossing Zones" (OBCZs). That part of Bookcrossing seems to have gone dead. A couple sites (other than Bookcrossing.com) were publishing these locations. Now I can't find anything about them. The few around me are old (published in 2004 or so) and usually the business has moved/changed/gone under. There was one OBCZ that was a LFL. I'll try to see if it is still there, and post it in both categories.

[+Max and 99]

1 hour ago, vulture1957 said:

I always thought that the entries in Bookcrossings were supposed to be "Official Book Crossing Zones" (OBCZs). That part of Bookcrossing seems to have gone dead. A couple sites (other than Bookcrossing.com) were publishing these locations. Now I can't find anything about them. The few around me are old (published in 2004 or so) and usually the business has moved/changed/gone under. There was one OBCZ that was a LFL. I'll try to see if it is still there, and post it in both categories.

Not sure what you mean by official, but all my bookcrossing zone way marks are at places listed on bookcrossing.com as zones. Plus, you can one at any time. 99% of them are no place you'd find a book. I'll probably leave those alone and stick to places I know will have books. I wish I could delete all the ones in my area that are drop-one-and-done crossing zones.

[vulture1957]

try this link  https://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/27

[+Max and 99]

4 hours ago, vulture1957 said:

try this link  https://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/27

I see zero OBCZs in my state! 

[+Max and 99]

I'm going to have to edit my titles now that I see "bookcrossing" is not supposed to be included. I like my titles better. If I call it Starbucks people will be expecting to visit a Starbucks, not a bookcrossing zone in Starbucks. Or maybe in the future when I add a zone I'll start the title with "Bookcrossing". ?

[+Max and 99]

I sure feel stupid.  I've been spending time looking up addresses, registering books on BC, and adding the ISBN to the waymark page indicating which book I dropped off,  only to realize today that even the category officer leaves all that blank on the page! The joke's on me.

[+Max and 99]

Unbelievable. As soon as I submit a bookcrossing zone without an ISBN I get DECLINED. Of course!  The officer can get away with it, but not us ordinary folk. Makes me so mad!

 

Get your act together, officers.

[+PISA-caching]

Sorry, but I really don't understand it. So far I posted only three waymarks in the Bookcrossing Zones category in three different countries. I never added an ISBN number and I don't see anything like that in the "Instructions for Posting a Bookcrossing Zones Waymark". If it was a requirement, the variable wouldn't be optional, no?

[vulture1957]

3 hours ago, PISA-caching said:

Sorry, but I really don't understand it. So far I posted only three waymarks in the Bookcrossing Zones category in three different countries. I never added an ISBN number and I don't see anything like that in the "Instructions for Posting a Bookcrossing Zones Waymark". If it was a requirement, the variable wouldn't be optional, no?

 

You'd think that optional requirements were optional. But I have found a few reviewers that won't accept a waymark in a variable isn't filled in.

My usual fix -- start a competely new waymark and copy all info from the first one. (It may go to another officer in the group)

[+Max and 99]

Here are some things I've discovered:

 

1. It seems that as long as ANYONE, at ANY TIME, even 10 years before you posted your waymark dropped off even ONE book, it counts as a Bookcrossing zone. Even if there haven't been any books there in ten years.

2. It seems that the address and ISBN are not required.

3. Even if you SHOW there are books there (example, a LFL), if someone hasn't actually dropped one book thru the bookcrossing site, it's not counted as a bookcrossing zone and your waymark will be declined.

4. Even if there are no books, and haven't been for maybe ten years, as long as at one time there was, your waymark WILL be approved.

 

Officer comment:

It's not a bookcrossing zone without any books. We've decline many like this where the link works, but there aren't any books submitted or recorded. We do this to limit the submissions to this category. As you know, literally anything can be a bookcrossing zone. This one can fit in other existing categories.

 

[+Max and 99]

The ISBN variable made me think you are supposed to leave a book at the crossing zone, and give the ISBN. I often have a bag of books in my car to leave at LFLs and the like, so leaving a book is an easy thing for me to do. Now I realize I only need to officially drop a book off if no one, ever, has done so before.

I'm not sure how what the point is of the variable. Scanning thru recent waymarks in that category it seems it is rarely filled out (address is often blank too). I will be following suit. Learning as I go.

[+PISA-caching]

The problem is, that the category description doesn't clearly explain what the variable is for. It might be for a book that I drop there or it might be for a book that I found there. I never really knew what they expected to find in this variable, so I never filled it out. Oh, BTW, don't you have to put a sticker into the book to make it a BC book? Many years ago I once found a book in a tram and found a BC sticker in it. That's the way I got to know Bookcrossing. I read the book and released it again, registered at the Website, documented the place where I had released it and was anxious to see where the book might go, but after several months there was still no new information about the book. So, I never became a fan of BC and even after a year or two I checked the Website, but the book had never been registered again.

Edited October 8, 2018 by PISA-caching

[+Max and 99]

3 minutes ago, PISA-caching said:

The problem is, that the category description doesn't clearly explain what the variable is for. It might be for a book that I drop there or it might be for a book that I found there. I never really knew what they expected to find in this variable, so I never filled it out. Oh, BTW, don't you have to put a sticker into the book to make it a BC book? Many years ago I once found a book in a tram and found a BC sticker in it. That's the way I got to know Bookcrossing. I read the book and released it again, registered at the Website, documented the place where I had released it and was anxious to see where the book might go, but after several months there was still no new information about the book. So, I never became a fan of BC and even after a year or two I checked the Website, but the book had never been registered again.

Yes, For years I've printed the "stickers" that are free on the B.C. website and attach them to books I release. 

[+Max and 99]

Would anyone but me take up valuable suitcase space on vacation to pack books to leave at LFL for bookcrossing zone and free community book exchanges waymarks? I left them all!

[vulture1957]

2 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

Would anyone but me take up valuable suitcase space on vacation to pack books to leave at LFL for bookcrossing zone and free community book exchanges waymarks? I left them all!

 

I would go to the thrift stores  where I  vacationed and get some there.

[+Max and 99]

28 minutes ago, vulture1957 said:

 

I would go to the thrift stores  where I  vacationed and get some there.

That is a very good suggestion. And maybe waymark the thrift shop!

 

However, I think it's much easier to register the books on the B.C. Site and attach a label with the BCID number while at home rather than while on vacation when time is very limited. I brought small books!

[+Max and 99]

So sad to hear that the founder of LFLs has passed away last week. I knew he had been ill, so the news isn't unexpected, but still sad news. LFL stewards are invited to place ribbons on the libraries to honor the man that started it all.  

[+Max and 99]

Still on the subject of Little Free Libraries: Just out of curiosity: 

Are most of the LFLs right-handed or left handed? The handle is on the right, so I open it with my left hand so that my right hand can browse the books. I consider this a right-handed library. I think I've seen maybe 3 that have handles on the left, which I guess are left-handed LFLs? Very few out there, from what I've seen. Just an observation.

[+L0ne.R]

Just now, Max and 99 said:

Still on the subject of Little Free Libraries: Just out of curiosity: 

Are most of the LFLs right-handed or left handed? The handle is on the right, so I open it with my left hand so that my right hand can browse the books. I consider this a right-handed library. I think I've seen maybe 3 that have handles on the left, which I guess are left-handed LFLs? Very few out there, from what I've seen. Just an observation.

 

Definitely right handed outnumber left handed doors.

 

 

 

Here's one that's left-handed:

 

 

A few where the doors drop forward, hinge along the bottom.

 

 

Or you have to lift the door, hinge along the top (my least favourite because it awkward holding the door up and pulling out books to look through).

 

And quite a few double doors that open from the middle. 

 

 

[+Max and 99]

One library took me by surprise as it opened diagonally! 

[+Max and 99]

From a LFL email: 

Wow, 100,000!

 

Today we are celebrating a big milestone: the launch of the 100,000th Little Free Library book-sharing box! 

[+Goldenwattle]

I have not seen this thread before. I have been an active member of BC for years. I have a LFL which is also a Bookcrossing Zone; plus it has a cache in the  furnished 'attic'.

I regularly sort the books in the LFL and remove some which have been there for awhile, to swap for other books.  This usually happens when I am going travelling. Recently on a cruise to PNG I took a book for each port, and I am having a short trip soon of only one night away, but several towns to drive through, so one wild book release for each town. Those places where the book is released wild are not Bookcrossing Zones, unless it's been designated one, such as a LFL. However, although I do release into LFLs I more often release when travelling on benches, walls, tree, etc. Somewhere photogenic or themed preferably, as I include a release photograph.

[+Max and 99]

I've learned a lot about this category since my first post. A lot!

 

Official Bookcrossing Zones are not common. Bookcrossing zones are. So very many are no longer valid. Some are so specific you can't get a photo for a waymark (Lobby of the Heart Hospital). I'm not going to take photos of a hospital lobby with patients sitting all over the place! Some are so vague, but still accepted by the officers (just a city). It was a big learning curve for me.

 

We've been chased in the parking lot of a business many times: "You forgot your book!"  I've been called at home, after picking up a to-go order at a business: "We looked up your phone number because you accidentally left your book here." 

 

I like to leave registered Bookcrossing Books in Little Free Libraries. Sometimes when travelling I'll check to see if a local business is registered as a zone.

 

A little tip I've learned:

 

First, a backstory. I don't know if it's just my luck, but so many times when I leave a registered book, someone picks it up and logs it before I can even get home to get on the website and state that I left it there. In case you don't realize this, it can be a good thing! The whole point of bookcrossing is to share books and watch them travel. People picking up the books I leave mean they are being found and logged. Exactly what is supposed to happen!

 

However, this can also cause a problem for waymarks:

 

When a category officer reviews the BC waymark, he clicks on the link. If there are no books listed, he cannot know if 1. There were never any books there, or 2. Someone picked up all the books left there.

 

So I'm sharing a tip: take a screenshot of the BC zone showing a registered book was left there, especially when you are leaving the first book in a zone. If it gets picked up before you can take a screenshot, you may be out of luck. Yes, you can probably prove to the officer, thru the individual book's journal entry that it was indeed left there, but I find taking a screenshot of the zone can be helpful in case there's ever doubt.

 

When the BC site is working, I enjoy registering books and leaving them during my travels or when I find LFLs. That's all on hold right now, but hopefully I'll again be able to travel and visit more libraries. I would do this completely separate of any waymarks I can associate with the BC zones. I enjoy sharing books. Waymarking BC zones is a bonus.

[+Max and 99]

These designs are amazing!

 

https://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/blogs/meet-winners-little-free-library-design-competition

[+ScroogieII]

On 3/4/2020 at 4:43 PM, Max and 99 said:

One library took me by surprise as it opened diagonally! 

 

Taken completely out of context that would, indeed, be a shock to the system!!!

Think about it for a sec...

[+Max and 99]

I saw a Covid closed LFL for the first time today. At a school. Although I totally understand the reasoning and don't disagree with them playing safe, it's unfortunate for the kids since public libraries and school libraries have been closed.

[+Max and 99]

At this chicken-coop themed LFL, not only can you get a book to read, you can also pick up fresh eggs from the farm! I thought the walkway was so cute.

 

 

 

 

[+Max and 99]

A new LFL app is in the works:

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

[+Max and 99]

Finally, the Little Free Library app is  available. This will be so helpful for waymarks!

[+Goldenwattle]

On 9/28/2018 at 11:51 AM, Max and 99 said:

Another question about the bookcrossing category. Two books I wanted to drop off today at a bookcrossing zone did not have an ISBN. This is required for posting a waymark.

On a separate note: I almost always register the book on the Bookcrossing site. I couldn't find either of those two books by searching for the title, either! This was using two different search sites, including Google.

Does the category ever accept a title of there is no ISBN  on the book?

do you put a fake number for the ISBN and include a private message? Has anyone else run into this problem?

 

Have you tried Goodreads? I have found a number of books that way that didn't have an ISBN. Goodreads shows ISBNs.

I do Bookcrossing too. In fact, tomorrow our local group is having our Christmas party.

After I plan to go Geocaching.

[+Max and 99]

43 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

Have you tried Goodreads? I have found a number of books that way that didn't have an ISBN. Goodreads shows ISBNs.

I do Bookcrossing too. In fact, tomorrow our local group is having our Christmas party.

After I plan to go Geocaching.

I posted that over 3 years ago. I'm a pro now! 😁

And I was misled into thinking the ISBN is  required for a waymark. It is not. 

[+Goldenwattle]

56 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

I posted that over 3 years ago. I'm a pro now! 😁

And I was misled into thinking the ISBN is  required for a waymark. It is not. 

Oops, so it was 3 years ago. I didn't notice.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Goldenwattle

[+L0ne.R]

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1555760218