Why create new wealth?

Because we believe there is a fundamental need to find new ways for citizens to share their tremendous wealth within their own community. Bookazam is focusing on books to create this new wealth.

How is this network unique?

We are giving every citizen the opportunity to create new wealth on a large scale within their own community, region or country, with no barriers, no constraints of any kind like silly point systems or offering only a few select countries to join in. Anyone can join bookazam no matter where they live. We are about creating new cultural wealth not trading books per say. As citizens we all need books from time to time and bookazam wants to offer a way to tap into that immense collective wealth so everyone can benefit from it.

Is it really free and how does it work?

Yes it's really free! We, at bookazam, want every single book to be free for anyone requesting it, no matter which book is ordered. This new wealth is based on everyone's generosity. For instance, if we put 5 good books in the network we can order just as many for free, if we add 10 books we can order 10 books, any book in the network, it's that simple, no questions asked, no conditions attached. Once the books are added (see add your books page), all we have to do is put them aside where they can be found easily (it could be a designated area of your library for instance) and voilà! The books just stay where they are until they are ordered through the network. *Make sure you remove any personal information your books might contain before participants pick them up.

There are so many good books out there that we ought to find whatever we are looking for within a reasonable distance. Choice truly abounds in our own community/region. And if we find yourselves traveling from time to time, we can get our hands on good books we found abroad!

We have to show a little patience before communities pop up everywhere but citizens' patience and participation will be rewarded. All good things come to those who wait, right?

When we do a search, we can find out which books are close to us; how many free books are available in our own region! (search by city, username, school, bookclub etc). After placing an order, bookazam sends the requestor's email adress to the book owner. Once we touch base, we can both decide a convinient place and time to meet so we can get our hands on the book we ordered. After having read the book, we can either keep it or put it back into circulation. Needless to say, we encourage every participant to return the books to the network once they've served their purpose, so others can enjoy them (just use the add your books page). One more reason to return the books is that they are considered new additions, allowing any citizen to maintain the number of books they can order!

Since most books we order will be picked up in our community or region, it's a great opportunity to meet with participants offline and get to know them in the real world (see the learn more page).

In rare cases, after you've made a thorough search, the book you want isn't found anywhere near you but is located in a neighboring country/state/province, then we believe you can still get your hands on it for free, provided you show a little patience and the both of you (requestor and book owner) use all your connections to have the book picked up and brought to you for free through a simple human chain (We all have connections: family members, friends, acquaintances, penpals etc.) With a little patience you should be able to get your hands on the book you want.

Bookazam's blog is another way to ask participants for their help, together we should be able to get that book come to you. Relying on a humain chain at times may be a little challenging but it's so much fun for the community!

The fact is, there is so much choice within our own region that there will rarely be the need to resort to a human chain provided we are willing to cover a minimal distance. The bookazam team is doing its best to facilitate the sharing of this new wealth for all, provided everyone participates actively. top

Can I add just any book?

Yes you can. Anyone can add any book they want. So get those good books that have been sleeping away for years out there and give them a life of their own, citizens are just waiting to find them and get their hands on them. top

How many books can I receive?

There is no limit to the number of books we can receive, isn't it great! As long as we provide books of our own to create wealth, we're entitled to order books. For instance, if we add 10 books to the network we can order 10 books for free; if we order 2 books, then we can still order 8 more, unless we inject new books in the network or return the books we received by using the 'add your books' option in which case we can still order 10 books.

To make sure every participant has a chance to find good books they want, we have to limit the number of books one can order per week. After giving it some thought and as a trial period, we believe that allowing a maximum of 3 orders per week is reasonnable.

The bookazam team will do its best to serve participants with honesty and transparency. We trust every citizen will respect bookazam's guidelines and take responsibilty for the books they add to the network and participate activily to ensure their fellow citizens receive the books they order.

We wish every participant the best and truly hope this new social experience brings fundamental change in the way citizens share their wealth. top