Bring Book Swap Society to Your City!
Thank you for your interest in starting a Book Swap Society! We’re thrilled to have you here. If your area doesn’t already have an active society, we would absolutely love to guide you through the process of launching your own and bringing local readers together.
What Does It Mean to Be a Host?
Book Swap Societies are entirely volunteer-led. While our hosts are not financially compensated, you are stepping up to join a passionate group of book lovers who create joyful, book-filled moments in your community.
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The Commitment: By stepping up as a host, you are committing to organizing at least four events per year in your city. However, we highly encourage hosting once a month, as that cadence builds the strongest community!
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Your Responsibilities: You are the face of your local chapter! You will be in charge of finding and coordinating with local venues , scheduling and promoting your swaps , welcoming and checking in attendees on the Eventbrite app , running the events , and distributing leftover books to community spots like Little Free Libraries.
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The Support: You handle the in-person fun, and our founder, Nicole, takes care of all the back-end admin! She will add your new location to our national website, design your custom event graphics, and launch the event on Eventbrite for you.
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The Perks: You are in control! You decide when and where the events take place. Plus, you get first pick of all the books people bring to swap, and you'll receive an exclusive host welcome package.
How Do The Book Swap Events Work?
$5 per person to attend. All book genres are welcome, usually a 1.5-2 hour time slot
Step 1: Please bring at least 1 book to participate, you’re welcome to bring more if able
Step 2: Check in with the host and lay out your books on the designated tables
Step 3: Browse through other people’s books
Step 4: You may take home up to (x) books per person - # of books varies by city
Step 5: Mingle with fellow book lovers and support the venue
Step 6: The leftover books get circulated back into future Book Swap events and donated to Little Free Libraries around the community
Steps to Launch Your Society:
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Check the Map
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Check our website to see if there’s already a society near you. We love having multiple events in a city, so you might be able to team up and volunteer as a co-host! Email us at info@bookswapsociety.com to connect with local hosts.
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Submit Your Society Application:
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Submit your location through our website to tell us why you want to host. We will schedule a quick introductory meeting with our founder to see if it's a good fit and get you officially on board.
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Scout Venues & Set Up Your First Book Swap:
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Start reaching out to fun, accessible spots in your area—think breweries, coffee shops, or coworking spaces! Keep in mind, we do not pay venues to use their space. When a venue says yes, propose a date that is at least 6 to 8 weeks away so you have plenty of time to promote.
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Make It Official & Promote!
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Email your finalized details to Nicole at info@bookswapsociety.com, including the venue name, address, logo, Instagram handle, event date and time, and number of tickets available. Nicole will email you an Eventbrite link and a printable flyer. From there, you can start promoting your event on social media! (Pro-tip: Creating a dedicated Instagram account for your local chapter is completely optional, but strongly encouraged to help you build a community of regulars!)
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