Thing 14: Library Thing

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/kdedson

(I also have a RSS Feed for my recent entries on my blog page).

I love library thing!!! I see extreme value for readers advisory. I would very much like to create a Readers Services Library thing and have staff input what they are reading. This would then be posted to our public web page.

For now, I have my own and enter everything I read (since I started). Here I can tag, and add notes re: appeal factors for the book and a review if I am feeling confident about it.

I have used Library Thing to set up our church youth library (see my profile and my interesting libraries section.) It is so easy to add titles, we had all the youth who had laptops bring them in one evening and we cataloged all of the titles so far. I am going back on Wed. to finish up the project. The youth talked about what tags they wanted to use and how to use the tags to correspond to shelf location. We also talked about how anyone can go to our library and see what we have. We can keep the collection current by using library thing to do an annual inventory.

We have been waiting for the option to add to our on-line catalog the option of tracking circulation history. Right now we have the option of either turning it on for everyone or keeping it off. Due to privacy issues, we want patrons to make the decision. One day a patron was asking for a way to track her reading. I showed her LibraryThing and she was so thrilled about it. She loved that her "book-lists" would follow her to what ever computer she had access to. Many of our avid readers have shown significant interest in this tool. I love it so it is easy to promote it.

I also use the links to Friend's and friends libraries. We have used this tool to share or love of reading and what we are reading.

Can't say enough about this fabulous tool!