Don’t buy…Rent!

Transumers renting books from BookSwim.com keep their wallets from being emptied, trees from being cut down, and the paper wastebaskets (and worse, landfills!) from books being tossed out.

Changing The Way America Reads

Could the price of books possibly have gotten any more expensive? During any given week, the average bestseller costs more than $20. Read three of these in a month and you’re spending over $60! What you’re paying for is the right to own the book… but is ownership what you really want?

An Idea Is Born

March 2006 – George Burke and Shamoon Siddiqui spent their Thursday night as always, freeloading books in the local behemoth bookstore café. When asked to pay for the books along with the coffee, they replied, “No, we’re just gonna read them and put them back… but thanks for asking.”

Now this kind of behavior should never be condoned, but George and Shamoon noticed a pattern: everyone else was doing it, although maybe not so openly. If all of these people were simply reading, why aren’t they vagrantly loitering at a library? It’s free! Well, there’s no double mocha lattes at the library… but through researching the answer they discovered that the whole literary distribution model needed to be turned upside down.

Humble Beginnings

March 2007 – BookSwim mailed out its first rental book, The Richest Man in Babylon, to the first of many members who knew they could do better than bookstore prices. For those who like longwinded explanations: if you don’t have to buy every book, you can afford more books, and when they’re conveniently delivered to your door, you’ve got more time to read them. Unless you’re a collector or a packrat, your home shouldn’t be cluttered with a mounting pile of books, although subscribers are welcome to keep all of the rented books they’d like through BookSwim’s try-before-you-buy option!

The Environment

Everyone is concerned about our planet’s dwindling resources, and the easiest first step we can all take is conservation.

* Twenty million trees are cut down every year for American book production. BookSwim encourages book rental, rather than purchasing new books, in part because it helps reduce that staggering figure.
* Additionally, the bags BookSwim uses to ship books to and from our subscribers are made from 100% recycled plastic.
* Finally, by receiving books by mail, rather than constantly driving to and from the bookstore or library, BookSwim helps Americans save quite literally millions of gallons of gas every year.

BookSwim knows that it’s both good business and good conscience to take care of the Earth, so we go a step further – for every gift card we sell, we plant a tree through a partnership with EcoLibris.net.

The Future

BookSwim’s rental plans, characterized by unlimited books for all plans except the 1 Book-a-Month plan, no late fees and free delivery both ways, are mantras inspired by Netflix’s popular DVD service, act as so much more than cost-conscious entertainment in the literary world. It’s a way to get America reading again. Books nourish our intelligence and nothing captivates our imaginations like a story. We want to take on a responsibility to put more books in more hands… 1,000,000 books to be rented out by 2010! And by the time we reach our goal, BookSwim will have saved subscribers $22,070,000 over list price!

At Grow Up With Books, we know firsthand the importance of reading to our children. However, after constant trips to multiple bookstores and libraries we were faced with high costs, waiting lists, late fees, and in some cases—a very long drive to these establishments. Another issue that was a concern was which books do we choose? How do we find just the right book for our child?

After many heartfelt discussions with family and friends, it was time to build a business that addressed these issues and concerns. We knew that we weren’t the only ones faced with these problems. We believe that Grow Up With Books will help not only our family and friends share the love of reading, but many others across the country.

Our belief is that through our unique rental program and guidance from our Reading Consulting Team, we will be providing a life-changing experience for families across the nation. Putting reading first is made simple through Grow Up With Books.

We look forward to accompanying you on this reading journey.

Environmental Stewardship

At the forefront of our adventure, we believe that our focus on the environment is a critical aspect of our success and a main differentiator from our competition.

We provide the following services as part of our overall program to benefit the environment:

* Save gas and reduce carbon emissions by selecting books online
* Save trees by returning books to be enjoyed by another child
* Company literature is created using 100% recycled materials
* Participate locally with “green” initiatives – ensuring we constantly maintain the integrity we believe in

Philanthropy Program

A primary goal for Grow Up With Books is to not only leave a positive mark on our children’s reading development and future, but also the future of children around the world.

GUWB’s donation program and plan is a significant aspect of our overall philanthropic beliefs:

* First and foremost, we support local children and have partnered with local charities.
* We support 3rd world countries with English Development, partnering with the Peace Corps is one such program.
* We reach out to larger organizations such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army.
* We have instituted initially a “You Subscribe, We Donate” plan. For every new subscription, Grow Up With Books will donate a book to one of our partnered charities.

Philanthropic Partners:

* REACH – Reading Enriches All Children
* Book Wish Foundation
* Peace Corps
* First Book Charlotte
* Goodwill Industries International
* Salvation Army
* Maasai Association (Maasai Children Education Fund – MCEF)