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How to properly wrap a book

Please Note: Your book must be enclosed completely in the packaging. If your book is larger, or you are sending multiple books and the two printer pages of the wrapper will not enclose your shipment completely, please read this for help with wrapping.

A Few Easy Steps:

1. An email is sent to you asking if you can mail a book requested by another member.
2. Click on the link in the email to go to your account; click Print Wrapper on the request in your account to print the wrapper on regular paper from your printer.
   • You don't even have to find an envelope - the paper from your printer is the wrapper.
   • The mailing address is printed on the paper.
   • We calculate the postage for you. You can even opt to print the postage right onto the wrapper!
3. If your package weighs less than 10 ounces AND is less than one-half inch thick (true of many paperbacks):
   • You can mail your books straight from home, even if you use stamps: place the required amount of postage on the wrapper and pop the book in your outgoing mailbox. There is no need to waste time or energy driving to the Post office.
   • You can also mail these packages from a blue mailbox or other mail collection point.
4. If your package is over 10 ounces OR is mroe than one-half inch thick (typical hardcovers or multiple-book shipments) AND you use stamps for postage:
   • USPS National Security regulations require that the package be physically handed to a postal employee, and this generally means that you would need to take it to the post office.
   • You can also hand it to your mail carrier, if your mail carrier agrees to this.
   • Packages weighing over 10 ounces or measuring more than one-half inch thick that bear stamps for postage will be returned to the sender.
   • If you are uncertain whether your book as wrapped weighs more or less than 10 ounces, the PO is the surest way to mail it. You can also get a postal scale to use at home.
5. If you use PBS Printable Postage (or other printed or metered postage):
   • The 10-ounce/one-half inch regulation does NOT apply; you can mail from your outgoing mailbox or a blue mailbox or a USPS collection point at work.

It does not get any simpler than that to mail a book!

To see how to wrap a typical (mass-market paperback) book please look at the images below. Click on the small image to enlarge it.

For more help on how to wrap larger (ie, trade-size paperback) books please see this Help Document

NOTE: It is always better to use too much tape than not enough! Clear packing tape is preferred. Please do not tape directly to the book!!

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