Lending Library

Hi Everyone,

I had an idea tonight and I thought that I would run it by all here.

I remember that when I was younger my grandmother had a subscription to Scott's Stamp Magazine. She kept every copy back in her bedroom. I would grab a bunch of them in the summertime and sit out in the back yard and just pour over them. I miss those magazines.

I was wondering if there would be anyway that we could start a lending library? Anyone that would have back issues of Scott's or any of the other type magazines could list what they had and by request a member could ask to borrow a particular copy.

Borrowing would be limited to 2 or 3 at a time. To insure that the owner of a magazine got the magazine back, a deposit of a set amount be put up and all transactions to be conducted on Paypal. A time limit of borrowing the magazines be set at 1 month.

If the magazines are not returned within that time, then the deposit is forfeited to the owner of the magazine. A borrower's rating could be used so that owners of the magazines could decided if the borrower is a good egg.

Notice of sending off magazines between owners/borrowers would be added on the forum so all would know when to expect the package in the mail.

Like I said, it was just an idea. I know that those magazines were packed with a goldmine of information. This would also spread the knowledge around for those that can't afford a subscription to any of the magazines.

Donna

Donna,

In principle, it is a great idea. It would need further discussion though especially about the use of Paypal.
But the biggest drawback would be postage costs. Magazines are heavy and I know how much a subscription costs for an overseas order....more than the cost of the magazine itself.

Maybe the members in the USa and Canada can try something.

I am a magazine freak and have a cupboard full of them...well almost.
I am referring to them daily or just pick one up for a re-read. I am still going through Kirk's wonderful hoard that I received last week.

Interesting idea though, worth some thought.

Londonbus1...will check into postage costs at this end.

Thanks Londonbus,

I hadn't considered overseas borrowing, but your suggestion of trying this with just the U.S. and Canada members might be a better way of going. I belong to a book swapping site and sending out any books is usually done with media mail. Three magazines have got to weigh less than one paperback or even a hardback.

I use Paypal when I buy something off a few auction sites, but maybe because I'm the sender of the payment I might be missing something. What would be a problem? I'm curious.

Donna

Donna
I use paypal too for buying and selling.
It just seems odd that paypal will be making their cut from a magazine lending cut.
I can suggest that if the there are enough interested parties here, no fees should enter into the equation. If members with 50 posts cannot be trusted, when can they be ? I believe it is in the members interests to go about any exchange/lending in a proper way and believe they will. I would leave out paypal.

Just my thoughts.

First see if there is enough interest from other members.

Londonbus1

How about electronic copies of material? Is this an option or is it just too messy from a legal point of view?

Shipping within the US is OK because there is Media mail, as Donna has said. Elsewhere, even in Canada, we have much larger costs for even mailing a magazine.

Within the same country, Canada to Canada even, can be a lot if the weight and/or size goes beyond a single magazine. Then it is a parcel and for lower weights, shipping within Canada is more than shipping small packet to the States. Unless you use tracking, ten it about the same. Although that just changed recently too.

Canada used to have a media mail years ago I think but no longer. Sad. Libraries have to pay full rate now and we pay taxes on buying books. We are becoming uneducated and the government is helping.

Anyway, I like the idea, but just realistically speaking, it may be possible more within the USA only, unless people did not mind larger postage costs coming and going.

Almost better at times perhaps to just buy one or go to stamp clubs and flea marjets to pick one up. Harder to acquire good material perhaps but no so financially limiting.

A good opportunity to use gluestick postage perhaps !

If I had enough, and I mostly do, I would join in. I have enough magazines to swap until the day I die !

Londonbus1

Londonbus, I do agree that members can be trusted, but for whatever reasons, my concern was for those that really would be at a loss if the magazine/s were not returned. If the owner has kept a much needed collection of magazines and it was not returned then they would be at a loss.

peterethio, I'm not sure how electronic copies would work. I guess a link could be sent through e-mail.

Puzzler, Than maybe there could be two separate lists of members that had magazines to offer to lend? One for the U.S. members and one for the Canadian members. It would be easier to go out and buy a magazine, but for many and as an example, myself, that may not be possible. I was hoping that the suggestion could be an answer to those that can't subscribe or buy magazines for whatever reason.

We had a thread last year I think I called it "whats in your library" or something similar. Many of us listed what we have. I would be happy to provide any info from these.

For whatever it's worth, here are the issues I see:

1. Media Mail is not that great a service. I mailed something this way once, it never got to the destination nor was it ever returned. I will always send items I don't want to risk losing by at least first class mail or priority mail. If this sort of experience occurs in a lending library, who is responsible for replacement and how does one even get a replacement if the item is no longer in print? Between mail costs and the risk of loss of the item, the cost to subscribe to a given publication will probably turn out to be cheaper in the long run.

2. Electronic copies sound wonderful in theory, but you're likely to hit copyright infringement laws especially if you are doing this for release to the public (even SCF's public.)

I have an idea to start this off, just to see if there is any interest.
I have a 75th anniversary copy of the UK's Stamp Magazine. It is an excellent read at the best of times but this copy was superb. I posted pics somewhere I believe and intended to use it as a competition prize.
Together with the magazine was a reprint of the first copy which is quite amazing reading. All those ads from 1934 and all the info, reprinted exactly as it was. The two magazines are unopened in a sealed pack.
Here's the deal. Those in the USA,Canada or anywhere else that are interested sign up on this thread. I will send it to someone on the list in one of those countries. When that person has finished with it, he/she can send it on to someone else IN THE SAME COUNTRY [to cut down on postage costs]. When that country has been exhausted of interested parties it will be sent to another country on the list and the same will happen there. If someone who is willing to use gluestick postage and has some to spare, they should speak up as they will be put last on that countries list because it will cost more to go overseas. [With me so far?]

I will draw lots somehow, hopefully with board involvment, to determine who will be the last 'player', because the last one will get the chnace to keep it...I do not want it back.

As an extra little oddity, and to give a few unsuspecting folk a good laugh, I will enclose an October edition of the British Philatelic Bulletin which should be similarly passed on.

If anyone is interested, just holler on this post.

Londonbus1

P.S. If I have any Gluestick postage from any of the countries taking part [and I will have] I will enclose it in the envelope to be used 'en route'.

this is an interesting concept, however I was thinking how will people know where these books and magazines are?

to mix two hobbies I do occasionally dabble in something called Geo Caching (using a GPS to find hidden loot people hide for fun with an id tag in it which you use to log on a site and mark you found it and hints on where you re hid it)

long story short, these are ID tags with trackable #'s on www.groundspeak.com
I have one ID tag in hand now and might be able to find a few more laying around I purchased and never used. which I'd love to donate
we could use the tag # as book ID's thus marking the current location of the books/magazines.
A separate thread title, like "Library exchange" could list the Tracking #'s and volumes name.

then someone could just type in the Library exchange books ID # and see where it is.

I also think the person requesting the books should offer to pay the media mail rate as fairness to the current reader.

(did any of that make sense? I was interrupted 6 times trying to write it... lol)

Not to be a downer, but in the United States, you cannot use media mail for magazines or newspapers that contain advertising material. Nor can it be used for publications using the word "catalog."

Just in the last month, I read a story somewhere about USPS randomly opening Media Mail and inspecting the contents. Those packages containing unacceptable material were charged additional postage.

Otherwise, your suggestion has merit -- if a way could be found to handle the exchanges.

KirkS

how about we use, Rod's private jet to fly them around from person to person?

Interesting concept. I do enjoy reading old philatelic material. In fact, I regularly borrow Scotts Stamp Monthly from a club member at our meetings and return them the next month to him.

I switched to electronic issues of Linn's last year to save money and haven't read it in months. If I had been able to keep receiving the paper edition I know I would have read them every week almost immediately. There is just something about holding the paper to read it and not scrolling & clicking with a mouse.