Library Thing

Well here I am on test drive number 6, with 113 days to go before the trip!

This week I was particularly interested in Library Thing as it's not something I've ever looked at. I have to say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Before looking at it I couldn't imagine why anyone would enjoy "cataloguing" their home collection but by the time I'd added a few of my own books I could understand the attraction. It's not so much the adding of books as the social interaction that comes from "meeting up" with people who share the same book likes and dislikes.

I can definitely see possibilities for the use of "library thing" in libraries. For example, imagine linking back to the library catalogue so that readers are drawn to your library website. Or how about using the review section of each book to link people who don't have a copy of that particular title to your library?

Not forgetting of course the social side of things where groups of readers from your library with similar reading tastes could be encouraged to collaborate online. Online book clubs such as these would dramatically improve the accessibility of library services to groups who (for whatever reason) are unable (or unwilling) to visit the library in person.

I will be keeping up my subscription to Library Thing! (Link to my page to follow shortly).

Cheers!