Web site offers the ultimate volume discount

I read a lot of books — partially it’s my job (university professor) and partly because I enjoy reading. But any real reader knows that buying books presents a problem: What to do with them once you’ve read them.

You can keep them, which means having space to put them and having to move them if you move. You can give them to the local library (where they’re likely to end up in the annual book sale). You can trade them in for store credit (usually two for one).

Or you can give them to a friend. Bookmooch (Bookmooch.com) is kind of an extended network of friends to trade books with. You can join for free and there are no fees involved. Once you’re a member, you can list books you want to give away, getting 0.2 points for each. Members can then “mooch” a book from you — you can accept the mooch or reject it. You send them the book and get a point for doing so.

Of course, you can also mooch a book from someone else; this costs you one point. Once you get the book, you acknowledge receipt (which garners you 0.1 points) and you can give the sender feedback (which you may consult when you decide if you’re going to send a book to someone).

You’re encouraged to put condition notes on your books. While this is not required, it is very much encouraged, and you may not get good feedback if you send a book in poor shape without indicating that. There are lots of people who’ll happily mooch a book that is not in great shape if they really want it. But people do like knowing in advance that the book has a serious coffee stain on page 192.

You do need to pay for postage — media mail at the post office is typically $2 to $3 for most books. Paying to send the book and not receive it may seem odd, but most active members seem to send out about as many books as they receive, so it works out about even.

Indeed, considering that the $2 to send a book will get you a book in the future, the trade-off seems rather better than two-for-one store credit at a used bookstore.

I’ve been using Bookmooch now for a year or so. One book did disappear in the mail (but I got credit for sending it anyway). I’ve given away 60 or so books and have received about 35. I’ve had a chance to mooch some gems and to send more than a few books off to new readers. It works well.

There are a couple of other, similar services, notably Bookins.com, Paperbackswap.com and Frugalreader.com, and (for books and other media) Zunaswap.com. I’ve had no experience with these so cannot comment on how well they work. But they may well be worth trying out.