The document discusses personal library tools that allow users to catalog, share, and find recommendations for their book collections online. It outlines four popular options - LibraryThing, GoodReads, Shelfari, and Google MyLibrary. For each option, it provides brief details on features like importing data from retailers, tagging books, reviewing books, and connecting with other readers. It encourages readers to create free accounts on the sites to explore adding books and customizing their profiles. The document aims to help readers determine which personal library tool may be the best fit based on their needs and interests.

1. Personal Library Tools
for Librarians
Presented
by:
Nicole
C.
Engard
nengard@gmail.com
h9p://www.librarything.com/
catalog/nengard

2. Outline
• What
is
a
personal
library
tool?
• Do
I
need
to
use
a
personal
library
tool?
• What
are
my
opBons
for
my
book
collecBon?
– LibraryThing.com
– GoodReads.com
– Shelfari.com
– Google
MyLibrary
• How
do
I
choose?
• Further
Reading

3. Personal Library Tools are
• A
way
to
– catalog
your
collecBon
– share
your
collecBon
– find
recommendaBons
– connect
with
fellow
readers
• Social
networking
for
book
lovers
(or
any
collecBon
lover)

4. Do I need one?
• If
you:
– Lend
a
lot
of
books
– Find
yourself
buying
books
you
already
own
– Love
to
keep
things
organized
– Are
a
cataloger
at
heart
– Or
just
like
sharing
informaBon
online
• Then
a
personal
library
tool
is
for
you

5. What are
my options?

6. LibraryThing
• Pulls
data
from
libraries
&
Amazon
• Allows
you
to
catalog
books
• Add
common
knowledge
data
(authors,
seWngs,
important
people,
etc)
• Sort
data
into
collecBons
• Mark
items
read
or
not
read
• Sign
up
for
free
books!
• Free
for
up
to
200
books
-­‐
$25/lifeBme
for
200+

7. LibraryThing
• LibraryThing,
staying
true
to
its
name,
has
viewed
libraries
and
librarians
as
key
users
of
its
services
and
an
important
market
for
their
product.
Among
the
four
featured
sites,
LibraryThing
has
the
only
librarian
on
staff
who
carries
an
MLIS
degree.
Popular
among
small
libraries,
LibraryThing
encourages
cataloging
and
even
promotes
an
inexpensive
scanner
called
CueCat
which
speeds
up
the
cataloging
process.
Online
rewards,
known
as
badges,
are
awarded
to
users
who
contribute
to
the
bibliographic
producBon
of
LibraryThing.
Sco9
Jeffries.
2008.
Social
cataloging
tools:
a
comparison
and
applicaBon
for
librarians.
Library
Hi
Tech
News,
November
30,
1-­‐4.

8. LibraryThing
• Take
a
look:
– www.librarything.com
– Create
an
account
– Update
your
profile
– Add
books
– Add
common
knowledge
– Find
friends
– Early
Reviewers
– Join
Groups

9. GoodReads
• Pulls
data
from
Amazon
• Allows
you
to
catalog
your
books
• Mark
items
read,
wishlist,
to
read
• Tag
items
• Add
reviews
&
raBngs
• Sort
books
into
shelves/categories
• Free
for
any
number
of
books

10. GoodReads
• Goodreads’
design
is
simple
yet
includes
some
adverBsements
on
the
record
of
the
books
themselves.
They
have
wisely
placed
the
ads
on
the
far
right
of
the
screen
so
as
to
not
overwhelm
the
user
as
they
move
leh
to
right
across
the
page.
When
available,
a
link
to
a
Google
Book
Search
preview
is
imbedded
in
the
book
display.
Also,
Goodreads
encourages
reviews
and
comments
by
prominently
displaying
previous
comments
from
other
users.
Sco9
Jeffries.
2008.
Social
cataloging
tools:
a
comparison
and
applicaBon
for
librarians.
Library
Hi
Tech
News,
November
30,
1-­‐4.

11. GoodReads
• Take
a
look
– www.goodreads.com
– Create
an
account
– Add
books
– Find
Friends
– Find
a
Group

12. Shelfari
• Owned
by
Amazon
– Data
obviously
pulled
from
Amazon
• Allows
you
to
catalog
your
books
• Mark
items
read,
wishlist,
to
read
• Tag
items
• Add
reviews
&
raBngs
• Free
for
any
number
of
books

13. Shelfari
• The
disBncBve
feature
for
Shelfari
is
its
visual
shelf
display
that
places
the
image
of
an
added
book
on
a
virtual
shelf.
When
creaBng
a
collecBon,
the
user
is
pushed
by
the
graphic
interface
to
sort
items
into
three
categories
–
to
read,
reading
and
have
read.
The
process
creates
a
large
amount
of
clicking
around
from
one
collecBon
to
the
other
and
the
user
cannot
always
view
an
enBre
collecBon
very
easily.
Sco9
Jeffries.
2008.
Social
cataloging
tools:
a
comparison
and
applicaBon
for
librarians.
Library
Hi
Tech
News,
November
30,
1-­‐4.

14. Shelfari
• Take
a
look
– www.shelfari.com
– Add
an
account
– Add
books
– Update
profile
– Find
Friends
– Find
a
Group

15. Google MyLibrary
• Pulls
data
from
Google
Books
• Provides
inside
the
book
preview
if
available
• Add
notes
and
labels
(tags)
• Add
reviews
&
raBngs
• Free
for
any
number
of
books

16. Google MyLibrary
• Take
a
look
– h9p://books.google.com
• Click
‘My
Library’
in
the
top
right
(if
you
have
a
Google
account)
– Sign
up
for
a
Google
Account
if
you
don’t
have
one
– Add
books
– Add
tags
– Add
reviews

17. More to Learn
• Sco9
Jeffries.
2008.
Social
cataloging
tools:
a
comparison
and
applicaBon
for
librarians.
Library
Hi
Tech
News,
November
30,
1-­‐4.
• ArBcles
about
LibraryThing
(too
many
to
cite):
h9p://www.librarything.com/press/#6
• Arrington,
Michael.
2007.
Goodreads
Raises
Angel
Round
To
Help
You
Find
That
Perfect
Book.
TechCrunch.
December
17.
h9p://bit.ly/oJTAr.
• Darcangelo,
Vince.
2008.
Hyper
literate:
Local
readers
and
writers
reaping
the
rewards
of
book-­‐themed
social
networking
sites
-­‐
Boulder
Daily
Camera.
Boulder
Daily
Camera.
December
18.
h9p://bit.ly/4M86sf.

18. Personal Library Tools
for Librarians
Thank
You
Nicole
C.
Engard
nengard@gmail.com
h9p://www.librarything.com/
catalog/nengard