Everybody has a few…books on your shelf that you’ve read and never plan on reading again. Or maybe there’s a handful you haven’t even cracked the cover of and you just can’t ever seem to find the time.

Well, like most everything else these days: there’s a web site for that. Several, actually.

Book trading sites are a great way to connect with other readers and their books. While one man’s unwanted book is just taking up space on a shelf, it could be the *very* treasure someone else has been looking for.

WhatsOnMyBookshelf  http://www.whatsonmybookshelf.com/

Users register the books they want to trade with a point system based on the price of a new copy. For every five books a user posts on the site, they get 1 credit. Once they have accrued enough points, users can then begin swapping books with other users. WhatsOnMyBookshelf allows users to create their own book descriptions and notes or use summaries from sites like Amazon and the Library of Congress.

BookMooch  http://bookmooch.com/

BookMooch users can register for free and like other sites, get points for the books they offer up. The only cost to members is the price of shipping the books to fellow BookMoochers—media mail is an acceptable, affordable means of getting books out to other users. Feeling charitable? BookMooch partners with a number of charities allowing users to give their used books to children’s hospitals or groups that work to foster literacy in African nations.

Title Trader  http://www.titletrader.com/

Like the other sites, Title Trader works on a credit system: users post books they want to swap and if another user is interested, they are notified and receive a credit for the exchange. Title Trader also allows users to trade old CDs and DVDs. If you find you’re low on points, Title Trader does allow users to purchase points so that you can get that much closer to the books you want, faster.

Paperback Swap  http://www.paperbackswap.com/

Paperback Swap offers a free basic membership—all you need is an email address, a mailing address and some books you’re ready to part with. All members get 2 free swaps to start. Power users can sign up for premium memberships for anywhere from twelve to twenty dollars a year. And you’ll probably find the book you’re looking for, given that Paperback Swap boasts more than 3.7 million titles!