WhatsOnMyBookshelf
Type of site | Book swapping community |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Dan Ostermayer |
| Created by | Olexiy Merenkov |
| Website | http://www.whatsonmybookshelf.com |
| Commercial | No |
| Launched | 2006 |
| Current status | Not active |
WhatsOnMyBookshelf was an international online book swapping and book trading community launched in 2006 by Dan Ostermayer .[1] It had over 4000 users who swapped an average of 10 books daily .[2] The total number of shippable books registered by the site was 22,535 as of July 9, 2013 .[3]
Site description
WhatsOnMyBookshelf, when compared to other book swapping[4] communities, had a relatively small but dedicated community of swappers.[5] The site started out as a home for fiction books.[6]
Registering and using the site was free; the only requirements were that users provide their addresses and be able to ship books to other users through postal services.
Swapping method
The site used a point system as a form of book swapping currency. This method made using the site flexible, however less personal than other book swapping communities.[7]
New users received a 1-point bonus for every five books that they registered. After having registered the first 100 books, this incentive was no longer valid and users received points only for shipping books to other users (which means that the users had to pay the postal fees for sending the books, but receiving a book was free). Though the site offered a free service, users could purchase 5 points per month if they wished to (purchased points cost $2 each).
Book value points were calculated based upon the new book price of the book in question ($20 – 1 credit point).
Users could request a book by adding it to their shopping cart. The user in possession of the book had to ship it within 5 days and mark the request as “sent”. Similarly, the recipient was obligated to mark the request as “received” immediately upon delivery.
The site has an API, and it is possible to embed WhatsOnMyBookshelf in other sites.[8] A Firefox add-on was also available to users so that they could manage their wish-lists.
Ranking and Technical Information
According to Alexa page ranks, the site was the 6,296,551st most popular website in the world as of 7 July 2013.[9] The site is officially registered by WhatsOnMyBookshelf (Moscow, PA), with Dan Ostermayer as its technical and administrative contact.[10]
Press Coverage
- Colley, Angela: The 4 Best Sites for Trading in Your Old Books. MoneyTalksNews, 13 December 2011, http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2011/12/13/the-4-best-sites-for-trading-in-your-old-books/.
- Dzikiy, Phil: Book trading Web sites a viable option for readers. TonawandaNews.com, February 27, 2009, http://tonawanda-news.com/local/x681753875/LITERATURE-Book-trading-Web-sites-a-viable-option-for-readers.
- Keegan, Victor: It's a new online chapter for books. The Guardian, June 21, 2007, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/jun/21/comment.guardianweeklytechnologysection.
- Yamamoto, Mike: The latest social networks: books. CNET, July 21, 2006, http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6097014-7.html?part=rss&tag=6097014&subj=news. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- Vascellaro, Jessica E.: Online book swapping. WSJ Online, September 21, 2006, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115879588172669481.html.
- Méndez, Theresa: Peer-to-peer book reviews fill a niche. The Christian Science Monitor, June 15, 2007, http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0615/p11s02-bogn.html.
See also
- Book swapping
- BookCrossing
- BookMooch
- Collaborative consumption
- Netcycler
- Swap.com
- ReadItSwapIt
- Lenro
External links
References
- ↑ "About Us". whatsonmybookshelf.com. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
- ↑ "FAQ". whatsonmybookshelf.com. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
- ↑ "Main Page". Retrieved 2013-07-10.
- ↑ For a comprehensive list see: http://www.swaptrees.com/swap_books.php and http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Comparison_of_Book_Swapping_Websites
- ↑ Colley, Angela. "The 4 Best Sites for Trading in Your Old Books". Money Talks News. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
- ↑ Vascerallo, Jessica (September 21, 2006). "Online Book Swapping". WSJ Online. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
- ↑ Yamamoto, Mike (2006-07-21). "Points and other forms of currency allow more flexibility, but Swaptree's person-to-person system makes it more appealing to some". CNET. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
- ↑ Keegan, Victor (2007-06-21). "It's a new online chapter for books". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
- ↑ whatsonmybookshelf.com page metrics on Alexa (as of July 8, 2013): http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/whatsonmybookshelf.com Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ WHOIS result for whatsonmybookshelf.com, http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=whatsonmybookshelf.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
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