Newbie Questions

Is there any way to see how many copies of a book are available on PBS?
Is there any way to see how many people (if any) are wishing for a particular book?

I know it can be done with the DVD swap, but it can not be done on PaperbackSwap. I did send them the suggestion to allow us to do that. I would like to be able to answer those questions when I have a book to post or a book I want to get.

I'm glad that you did make them the suggestion. It would be so helpful to know. Thanks.

Yes, there is a way to see how many copies are available of a book. Add it to your reminder list, and you will see next to the book (now on your reminder list) how many copies there of it available. If it's not available, it will show up at the end of your reminder list. To see how many people are waiting for a particular book, add it to your Wish List, and there by clicking on the little "I" in the gray circle, you can see how many people are ahead of you to tell you how many people are waiting for a particular book.

Neat, I never realized they made those changes!

I requested a book, and it was accepted, but the sender has only now printed the label -- a full day after the last day possible to send the book for them. Are the deadlines "soft", or are there consequences for the sender in sending my book a few days late?

Hi Ridgeway Girl, Are you sure it is the first person you were to get it from? Usually if their deadline has passed your request is rotated to the next person in line so there are definite consequences. Go to your Transaction Archive and see if the request was marked with an X, select it and see if it says no answer by sender in alloted time. If so it was actually the next person in line who got your request and very promptly has printed it for sending. This has happened to me a few times. I think then PBS staff looks at the nonresponders and determines if their account should be closed.

I'm still a little fuzzy on what sort of books are allowed to be posted on PBS and what aren't. I just received a book that has part of a page cut out, not all of a page, just two-square inches of the middle. It looks like there had been an illustration there that some previous owner had liked. Is this something I should complain to the giver about?

The book in question is an illustrated juvenile novel, so the pictures are kind of important. The page defaced is the title page.

Thanks for the help!

I'd mark it as a problem & request a return of the credit. (State you expect a response within a week or other time-frame.)

The sender can claim ignorance of the missing illustration, but they are supposed to make a good faith effort to check condition.

If you can, take a picture of the page & post it on a picture website so the sender can see the damage & put the link in the notes/message.

Specifically request return of the credit. State the location of the missing illustration & why you think it is important. PBS guidelines say that, in the case of part of the cover missing, the max is one square inch... the info is in the FAQ/Help pages.

If the sender says that she didn't know it was missing, she still has to return the credit. She is responsible for making sure the book is in acceptable condition before mailing. If she doesn't return the credit, mark the transaction as not resolved and let TPTB take care of it.

Good Luck.

PS: if she gets nasty about it, immediately let TPTB know.

Also, the PBS forum is a good place for questions & to get opinions. Lots of Tour Guides & long time members check it regularly. Lots of good advice.

Thanks much!

For literally months, I've a title on my official wishlist that is "pinked-out", and it says, "This item is on hold".

What the hell, in the context of the usual PBS lighting-fast responsiveness, does that mean???

#11 - Sandy, Somehow it got put on hold, see if you can uncheck it and take it off hold.

Npw that's odd.

Thanks!

It's off hold, whatever that means...