Sharing with minimal regulation? Evidence from neighborhood book exchange

Anouk L. Schippers and Adriaan Soetevent

European Economic Review, 2024, vol. 161, issue C

Abstract: Informal peer-to-peer services to share or barter goods often succumb to free riding behavior because they lack the tools to enforce compliance and reciprocity. We collect unique quantitative data on a form of unregulated peer-to-peer in-kind exchange that appears internationally viable: the free exchange of books via privately owned public bookcases, also known as little free libraries. Other than previously studied honor-based exchanges, little free libraries use a non-monetary one-to-one book exchange rate.

Keywords: Peer-to-peer exchange; Honor systems; Free riding; Social norms; Altruistic preferences; Sharing economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D49 H42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:161:y:2024:i:c:s0014292123002672

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2023.104639

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