- Book request is received and I click the necessary button to get the label to print to pdf.
- I gather all book request pdfs and transfer them to a jump drive.
- I drive to the nearest FedEx Kinko's office with jump drive and baby in tow and have the dude behind the counter print out the documents.
- I return home and use label when wrapping up books to be sent. Baby wishes to help but is sidetracked by indoor ball throwing and mention of cars.
- I grab baby, books, keys, and wallet, and take the elevator downstairs where I get back in my car and drive to the post office. Baby has to come in with me.
- I stand in line at the post office (not as bad as the DMV, for which I am infinitely grateful), and try to keep baby entertained.
- I pay to have the items sent out (usually around $2 per book).
- I take baby and go home exhausted.
- Repeat process as often as necessary.
When all is said and done I like PBS but a trip to Powell's is a far more enjoyable experience.
9 comments:
wow.... with the first chunk of money that you are saving by not buying more books, I suggest you go out and buy a little cheapo printer :)
No doubt. You can get a decent inkjet for $30 at Fry's. If you hate buying ink, go the laserprinter route. I haven't had to refill mine with ink in a year and a half. Granted, I rarely print. But by the sounds of it, you rarely need to print either. Hate to take business away from Kinko's, but sometimes ya gotta do it.
I use BookMooch. What is this about all the book request PDFs? BookMooch is "scribble down some addresses, go to the post office, send things media mail". It's super easy.
I suppose now that you've invested all your time in PBS, you're probably going to stick with that site, though.
Book Mooch has about 550K books available, and 50K members who have given a book at some point. Looks like PBS is bigger.
Here's some crazy comparison.
I suggest that you pack up the books before going to Kinkos (just write on each package what goes where) - then you can stick the labels on in the parking lot of the post office. That'll save you a trip home and back out again - which I HATE doing.
Or - like Jen and Noir suggested - get a printer!
At the post office, there are "APC" machines. You can pay for, and print, a batch of stamps customized to your amount (typically $2.23 for a mass media paperback). Then just wrap your book, affix your custom postage stamp, and drop it in any post office box. No need to stand in line. I just put my books in my mailbox and throw the flag up. Don't know what your outgoing mail situation is, but it's not considered a "package" that requires a scheduled pickup -- the mailman will just pick it up like any other normal stamped mail.
Also you can just buy appropriate denomination stamps to have on hand. I have a bunch of old 41c stamps so I do 3x41c + $1 stamps (=2.23). Or you can do 2x75c + 69c + 4c (=2.23).
Can't help with the printing inconvenience, unfortunately.
Actually plumpy's comment reminds me -- you don't need to use the PBS labels. You could handwrite the label yourself and not include the insert. Eliminate the trip to kinko's or the need to buy a printer.
In the PBS "browse help" section, the 4th page lists suggestions for handwriting the label instead of printing.
I've received just over 100 books via PBS, and I would say at least a third of them do not use the pbs provided wrapper/label.
You should use this "lack of a printer" excuse as yet another reason to add a new macintosh member to your family - they typically come with a free printer.
And doesn't usps.com have a feature where you can pay and print the label all at the same time?
Is the $2 the media rate? 'cause that's usually much cheaper. I mailed about 10 books to a friend in SF and it only cost about $6.
PBS is kind of a pain in the ass! but I like it for travel books and novels I want to get around to reading but won't finish in the three weeks I have at the library. I just bought some mailing envelopes because I was tired of dealing with folding the book in the wrapper.
Dude. Seriously?
Wrap the book w/ paper first (I'm even too lazy to do that now, get a 100 pack of large 8 1/2x11 yellow envelopes from Staples) then HAND-WRITE the address & buy a roll of stamps (the forever stamps, USPS goes up every May). Throw a couple dollars worth of stamps on it (5-6?) and put it in your mailbox w/ the flag up. Done.
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