BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: heric
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 09:21 PM

For the sport of it! Give me some subversive shit - I'll list it!

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: GUEST,Dubious
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 08:08 PM

Yeah, but the USA PATRIOT Act says that your library habits are to be monitored by the government. Librarians have fought back and all that, but why would anyone willingly want to tell the FBI what's on the shelves at home?

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 10:53 PM

My local library had a chair and a box on the seat out at the curb last evening. They must be changing out their style of bookends, there were a bunch out there for whoever wanted them. I picked up a dozen or so--it's amazing all of the things that help hold books up around here. Pots, rocks, other books, because good bookends aren't always easy to find, at least, not at an reasonable price. Office Depot (here in the states) finally started selling a decent pair for about $10 for the two. When I redid my shelves I could have spent a couple of hundred dollars just on bookends. I'd rather spend the money on books!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 08:34 PM

This sounds good. The idea of cataloguing all the books I've got is a bit daunting, so I doubt if I'll use it that way, but I'm sure I'll use it on eway or another. Bookmarked already.

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Zhenya
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 06:58 PM

Dave - I'm glad you found what you wanted, which I'm guessing was the place to set up a membership.

I have found it took me a bit of trial and error to discover how to use some of the features on the site, so if Dave or anyone else has any specific question, post it here and I'll check back. There are also 2 sets of FAQs on the site. On the home page, click on the About tab and there are some Q&As on that page. Then on the About page, click on the FAQ menu item at the top for additional information.

If you click on the Groups tab on the home page, and look in the left hand Groups listing, there are also FAQ and "site talk" groups that can help with technical aspects of using the site.

When I originally posted this, I just thought of it as a very positive thing that people were either already using, or would like to know about. I'm glad some people like it, and I can understand other peoples' concerns. I guess it's like many other things on the web - works for some people, but not for others. Oh well...

Zhenya

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 04:13 PM

Ignore the foregoing post. I no sooner posted it than I discovered what I needed.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 01:24 PM

Zhenya, you said:

Once you post a book, you can see which other users on the site have that book, and also look at their posted libraries, and likely find more books you'll be interested in yourself.

I'm puzzled. I got on, and looked, and looked, but evidently not in the right place. I couldn't find anywhere to catalog my collection. I found a facility where I could list a book and I'd see that X number of copies of that book (and other ways of listing that book) were owned by others, but that couldn't have what you're referring to.

How do I post my library? How do I look at "their posted libraries"?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 01:00 PM

I haven't put my library on it, but I do like the "unsuggester" feature on it!

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 03:33 AM

I spend 30+ years as a professional librarian trying to avoid doing any cataloguing (mostly successfully).   Don't think I'll take it up in retirement.
Rts

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 02:16 AM

I don't know if I'll catalogue any of my books on line as they are catalogued well enough for me, but I enjoyed the forums & reviews. I'm a member of 2 local libraries & am always interested in new (to me) books.

One of my colleagues retired a few weeks after I did & she asked everyone to give her details of a book they love so she could expand her reading.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: MAG
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 07:41 PM

I have checked out the site. I haven't got time to input the books I have here at home, but I have enjoyed poking arou d in it.

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Becca72
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 10:59 AM

Investigating anyone with a copy of Catcher in the Rye. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 09:46 AM

It's not me, per se, it's anyone. With the data gathering going on here in the U.S. by the Bush administration, who knows what those Bozos are going to read into someone's extensive reading list? I doubt what I own would concern them, but there is a principle involved that in other eras or administrations wouldn't concern me at all.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 09:44 AM

ummm..I must have 5000-8000 books. I wouldn't know where to start.

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Zhenya
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 09:13 AM

Sandra and everyone else who checked it out - Glad you liked it, and thanks for spreading the word.

SRS -
You can make your list private so other LT users can't see it, but of course it's still online and could be hacked by someone with the wrong intentions. If the only thing you want to do is catalogue your books, I would say stick with the program you have. I like LT because it connects your list with other reader's lists. You can explore lists of people with similar tastes, and find new books you might like. There's also a lively discussion board.

By the way, I'm not listing every book I have, mostly just the music and fiction and selected other favorites. Most of mine are inexpensive though - paperbacks or used hard covers. I wasn't using any other book cataloguing program, so I like that aspect of it, but I mainly like it for the community aspects. I feel I don't have time to join a book club right now, but I really like discussing books with people. This isn't quite the same, but enjoyable nonetheless.

As for the internet having a record of your reading list - well, it's a personal decision whether or what to post. The site apparently has over 100,000 users to date. I felt I was comfortable using it, but I understand your concerns. Perhaps if you want to just take part in some of the community aspects, you could join as a member and just post a few very non-controversial books. This would allow you to take part in the discussion section, look at other people's lists, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 12:22 AM

I have a program called Endnote that I have a lot of books and articles cataloged in, and it stays in the privacy of my home computer. I have a rare and first editions that I don't know that I want to advertise in a for-all-the-world-to-see public venue. Do any of you who have looked at this site have any privacy concerns about listing your books there? The public library owns them, and if you borrow them they have a record of your reading while you have the book checked out, but once you return it that record vanishes. Seems to me there could be some mischief with a site like this. But then, I believed Hillary when she said there is a vast right wing conspiracy against Bill. There was. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 12:03 AM

just wait for my next email, Jennie, it hasa so many more places to waste time, tho with these you could even spend money!!

strangely enough, when I searched for this book, one of the sites was LibraryThing!

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: JennieG
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 11:41 PM

Sandra sent it to me (as one of her librarian acquaintances) and I shall have a good squiz at it. It seems like fun....and I really need something else to help me waste/spend more of my life online!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 10:04 PM

Looks like a good idea. I was particularly drawn to the book "The Lust Lady."

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 10:00 PM

Wow! I will definitely go back when I have time and take a tour. Sounds wonderful! Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:51 PM

I loved it & have bookmarked it for future reference & also sent it to a few librarians of my acquaintance.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Bert
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:31 PM

Er, what's it all about?

Subject: BS: Booklovers - Anyone using LibraryThing?
From: Zhenya
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:13 PM

After reading a recent newspaper article, I joined LibraryThing.com:

http://www.librarything.com/

Just curious if any other Mudcatters are also members of LT.

For those unfamiliar with the site, it's a combination of a site for cataloguing your home library, and a booklovers' version of Mudcat. There's a very lively and active discussion section there.

Once you post a book, you can see which other users on the site have that book, and also look at their posted libraries, and likely find more books you'll be interested in yourself.

Lots of people are posing their music books along with everything else, and I've stumbled across some really interesting music collections, among other things.

Be careful, though - it's as addicting as Mudcat!