In a World Where...Everyone Has a Library

January 26, 2009

Did I lend my copy of the David Sedaris book Me Talk Pretty One Day to someone? And, hey, these DVDs are collecting dust. An online service called LendAround might resolve this, letting me become a better library for the people I trust.

Today my guilty pleasure site BoingBoing.net reported on the free service, which is in private beta testing. LendAround is starting with DVDs--users can type in the names of movies in their collection to generate the list. The site facilitates lending DVDs to friends, colleagues, trusted acquaintances. It also lets participants rate and review movies. Send DVDs to friends nearby with a single stamp and the service keeps track of who's got what. It's also possible to send gentle reminders.

DVDs and CDs tend to be bad news for the environment--they require plastics, packaging, and plenty of shipping. Plus, millions get trashed every year. LendAround extends the noble public library concept and encourages us to share what we've already got, preventing waste.

My main concern with LendAround is embarrassment about my DVD collection. But I stand by the Adventures in Babysitting purchase. That's a classic.

Update: LendAround founder Tim Jackson kindly extended a private beta testing invitation to people who know me. If you're interested, send an email to alyssasfriends@lendaround.com.

Photo Credit: Nick Stone.