Sorry if this is the wrong section, but I had an idea this morning

We have a couple of hundred CD's, a couple of hundred DVD's, god knows how many VHS and book cases full of books that have been read, and lots of video games on various formats, since we have been here friends have been lending us there books, dvd etc and we have lent them ours.

So I was thinking, why not start an EF library? the rules are simple, to join you have to donate 2 books/dvds/games/cd's can be a mixture, preferably no duplicates, the only rule here is they must be in good condition and working (in the case of dvd's etc) and be complete with inlays / instructions, they must also be in ENGLISH, or in the case of dvd's and games at least have English as an option.

Once you join you have access to everything in the library, so if you send in 2 books you can take out dvd's, games, vhs etc and books. There is no time limit, but you can't take anything else out until you return the library item. So if you really like that dvd etc then there is nothing stopping you keeping it, you'll just have to donate 2 more items to get another library 'card'.

The more donations you make the more items you can take out.

To avoid any money complications you either visit the library in person, or post the items including a self stamped address jiffy type bag.

Being an it bod I can sort out the database etc

What do people think?

brilliant idea!

I second that! I have many good quality books I can donate.

Don't I know about it!

You've got heaps of stuff ....

hi there

excellent idea !!!! i wanted to put thumbs up but dont know how that goes here. i have loads of kids vhs, like richard scarry, sesame street and books as well. one question thought which place will it be ???
thanks

i finally got how to do the thumbs up thingy !!!!!

22 yards might not agree since knows I have a copy of "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown , hey it makes for nice reading!!!!

Well we live just outside zurich, so I would imagine most of it would be done via post anyway. I guess a couple of times a month we could arrange an 'open house' or just pm if you want to pop by.

Oh forgot to say, all dvd's, cd's and games MUST be originals, no downloads or copies!!

Sounds like a great idea - if we can sort out the geography part.

great ... I am off to sort thru the bookshelf

depending on how many people are interested, and what they want to donate, we could have multiple locations, its somthing we can look into later. From a personal point of view I have no emotional attachment to any of the cds etc (they have all been ripped to my pc anyway) so just about all of them will be in the library, which gives it a good starting point, I'll get a list together tonight of what we have, I have to warn you tho, most of our books are horror (stephen king etc) and most of the films are blokey films, the cd's are a pretty good mixture. Lots of childrens vhs tho inc all the disney films upto toy story.

I can help out by organizingthe books DVDs etc by genre and author and come uop with excel sheets if you guys want

I might be able to help out - I travel once weekly to Basel & Geneva and can manage other parts serviced by SBB & Post Auto to drop off / collect items for a good cause.

oh
Bloody brilliant idea though! I am in!

thats great, i can definately send in a few dvds, cds and video games, but books i collect (yeah one of those people).

ok sounds like its a goer I'll get an excel spreadsheet together with all our dvd's etc Angela-74 has voluntered to catalog things, so if you want to join up can you pm me your donations and we can then sort out how to send / pick them up etc etc

will also need a mod to help out, once the first list is compiled should it be a sticky etc?

maybe in this format?

category title artist format age comments

book The Rats JH 18
dvd Lord of the rings 12
game PGR xbox 12
cd x&Y coldplay cd

Sounds like a great idea, the only thing I fear is abuse of the system e.g. people donating trashy Mills and Boons novels and keeping hold of higher value Non Fiction books. However once the system reaches critical mass, it may all even out in the wash.

thats always going to be a risk, but trust has to start somewhere

The no duplicates should limit most abuses, just how many mills and boon books are there??? lol

Also, blunote, I can collect the books in Basel and I can go through them checking the comply with quality conditions. Then I can deliver them to Zurich or if there is a volunteer for that part that would be great. ANd of course I'll catalogue everything.

Delivery Basel <=> Zurich no problems Angela.