Hey there!
I’m excited to announce Carousel, a new personal project. Follow @itsacarousel on Instagram to get involved!
What is Carousel?
The elevator pitch: Carousel lets you swap books, keeping them in circulation, helping you discover new reads.
The longer story: Carousel began as a way to ensure that books in perfectly usable condition remain in circulation. When you swap a book of yours with one listed here, you start a cycle that makes the project self-sustaining. Helping you discover new books that you might not have stumbled upon otherwise.
How does it work?
It's simple! Head over to @itsacarousel on Instagram. The first list of books go up on Sunday, July 30th.
Like a book you see? DM me!
Choose a book of yours you’d like to swap for it.
Fill a quick form about your book.
Ship it!
And I'll send you the book you requested, just pay for postal charges.
OR
If you enjoy a surprise:
DM me!
Send me a book you'd like to swap.
Based on it, I'll surprise you with a book I think you might enjoy.
Just pay for postal charges!
Why swap?
Carousel works on a swap system between you and Carousel.
You don’t pay for the book, just the cost of postage. This ensures that these books remain in circulation and find new homes, while also keeping the project self-sustaining.
The books that you send in become the basis for the next collection of listings.
What to look for
Each book falls under one of three tags to describe its condition:
Tip-top
Handled with Care
Seen Better Days
Tip-top: These books are in pristine condition, with no signs of wear or tear. They may have been read once or twice, but they look like they just came off the shelf.
Handled with Care: These books have been read and enjoyed, but they have been well cared for. They may have some minor wear and tear, such as small bends or creases in the pages, but they are still in good condition.
Seen Better Days: These books have been well-loved and have seen a lot of use. They may have some significant wear and tear, such as tears and stains, but are still readable.
Regardless of the tag, all of the books have been well cared for. They have been read and enjoyed, but they have not been neglected.
So if you have a book you’d like to swap, or know someone who is an avid reader, head over to @itsacarousel to get started!
The first batch of books go live on Sunday, July 30th.
I hope you participate!
In the not so distant future, I hope that this project can extend itself to things beside books to include everyday objects, knickknacks, and collectibles.
A big, big thank you to Naomi Shah who designed the identity!
You may also like…
For more projects like this one, and a bi-weekly dose of my thoughts, musings and the media I’m consuming, subscribe to Slow Cooked if you haven’t already!
Say hello!
Feel free to reply to this or comment below with your thoughts. Or just to say hello! I’d love to hear from you.
Talk soon,
Vihan Shah