BookCrossing facts for kids
BookCrossing is a fun way to share books with others. It's like a big, worldwide game of hide-and-seek with books! The idea is to leave a book in a public place for someone else to find and read. Once they finish it, they can leave it somewhere new for another person to discover.
This idea started with a free website called BookCrossing.com. Their main goal is to "make the whole world a library". Books can be shared in many ways. You can leave them in public spots, swap them directly with other members, or even send them in a "book ring" where books travel to a group of readers. The BookCrossing community also connects online through blogs and forums, and people even meet up at yearly events around the world.
Contents
The Story of BookCrossing
The idea for BookCrossing came from a person named Ron Hornbaker. He thought of it in March 2001. Just a few weeks later, on April 17, he launched the BookCrossing.com website. This website quickly grew very popular all over the world.
By April 2003, the website had more than 113,000 members. In 2004, the word "bookcrossing" was even added to the Concise Oxford Dictionary! That same year, BookCrossing was part of a story in the Australian TV show Neighbours. By September 30, 2009, BookCrossing.com had over 814,000 members. They had registered more than 5.8 million books!
In July 2007, Singapore became the first official BookCrossing country. They set up 2,000 special places called 'hotspots' for sharing books. In 2008, BookCrossing also started in Abu Dhabi.
Awards and Recognition
In May 2005, BookCrossing.com won two People's Voice awards. These were from the Webby Awards for being the best community website and best social networking website.
BookCrossing was also featured in a BBC Radio project. This project was called 84 Book Crossing Road . For this show, 84 copies of the book 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff were released around the world. The show was nominated for a Sony Radio Academy Award in 2006.
How BookCrossing Works
If you want to share a book, you first need to register it on the BookCrossing.com website. This is called "releasing" a book. You can leave it in a public place or give it to a friend.
When someone finds a BookCrossing book, they can visit the website. They can then "catch" the book by letting others know they found it. You can choose to stay hidden when you find a book if you want.
Some BookCrossing members like to "go hunting." This means they check the website for a list of books that have just been released nearby. Then, they go to the spot where the book was left to find it.
Books can also be left at special places called "Official BookCrossing Zones" (OBCZs). These zones are often found in coffee shops, restaurants, and other public spots. The goal of these zones is to encourage people to share books. They also help more people learn about BookCrossing and join in the fun!
Images for kids
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BookCrossing in Leipzig, Germany.
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BookCrossing in Lyon, France.
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BookCrossing at Kozminski University in Warsaw, Poland.
See also
In Spanish: Bookcrossing para niños
