The Library Thing:Catalog Your Books Online

[Kristijntje]

Abebooks.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books, has purchased a 40 per cent stake in LibraryThing.com – a website that helps booklovers catalog their collections and introduces them to a vibrant social networking community focused on books.

LibraryThing.com - http://www.librarything.com/ - is part of the new generation of ‘Web 2.0’ websites where users create the content. Launched in August 2005 by Tim Spalding, who is based in Portland, Maine, LibraryThing has already developed a dedicated global following among avid bibliophiles with 35,000 members who have catalogued more than 2.7 million books.

Members catalog their books in seconds using library quality data because LibraryThing accesses book information from the open access databases of Amazon and over 45 major libraries worldwide, including the Library of Congress.

The book lists form the basis of the content with users ‘tagging’ each title with a word or phrase to describe it. Users can also write reviews, compile their own profile, and then examine the books, reviews and profiles of other like-minded bibliophiles who have similar tastes.

One of LibraryThing’s most powerful tools is its ability to produce book recommendations for a member by analysing the catalogs of fellow users who own identical books and then revealing titles that may appeal.

A user name and password are the only requirements for an account. It is free to catalog up to 200 books. A paid account allows unlimited cataloging and costs (US) $10 for a year or $25 for a lifetime.

“Like Abebooks, LibraryThing is dedicated to booklovers. The most exciting part of this deal is the unique information LibraryThing generates about books and book-buying habits,” said Hannes Blum, CEO and president of Abebooks.com. “This data will help people find and buy more books on our site, and we’re going to help LibraryThing by exposing the website to millions of Abebooks’ customers.”

Tim Spalding, founder of LibraryThing.com, said: “By working with Abebooks.com, we will have access to resources, expertise and marketing to enrich LibraryThing and make it more popular than ever. LibraryThing and Abebooks appeal to the same people - dedicated booklovers - so this partnership is going to be very productive for both of us.”

The deal follows Abebooks’ recent acquisitions of BookFinder.com (Nov 2005), a price comparison shopping service for books, and FillZ (Feb 2006), a book inventory and order management company that assists booksellers to offer their books through the world’s Internet marketplaces.

full press release: http://www.abebooks.com/docs/CompanyInfo...hing.shtml

[BellisimaJ.]

What is LibraryThing?
Enter what you're reading or your whole library—it's an easy, library-quality catalog. LibraryThing also connects you with people who read the same things.

    *  Searches Amazon, the Library of Congress and 60 other world libraries.
    * Get recommendations. Connect to people with similar libraries.
    * Tag your books as on Del.icio.us and Flickr (eg., wwii, Victorian, philosophy of science, vampires, theology, dogs).
    * Put your books on your blog.
    * Export your data. Import from almost anywhere too.
    * Enter 200 books for free, as many as you like for $10 (year) or $25 (life).
    * Now available in French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegian, Welsh and others.

http://www.librarything.com/

[thentavius]

Makes it easy for the government to track people who read the Koran or the Communist Manifesto.

Edited to add: but it sounds cool. LOL. I might try it.

[mandy]

I merged 2 topics 

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=mandy link=topic=3782.msg32445#msg32445 date=1163931878]
I merged 2 topics 
[/quote]

Lol, Mandy, oops.

Thentavius,

I just found this link yesterday, and LOVE it! I have been working at cataloging my own books in an Excel spreadsheet. Tedious and very time consuming (I have around 2,000 books, primarily art reference)!

What makes it really fast and efficient is the fact that you can type in an author, and you will get a list of all that author's books, which you  can then add to your list with a click------huge benefit if you are dealing with a lot of books!!

BTw, I made my library private to avoid problems.


Edited to fix a smiley.

[chiquita]

[quote author=thentavius link=topic=3782.msg32423#msg32423 date=1163906763]
Makes it easy for the government to track people who read the Koran or the Communist Manifesto.

[/quote]

If the federal government ran my library reading preferences past an FBI profiler, they wouldn't be able to decipher it. Scratch their heads yes, make any sense out of it, not likely. 

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=thentavius link=topic=3782.msg32423#msg32423 date=1163906763]
Makes it easy for the government to track people who read the Koran or the Communist Manifesto.

Edited to add: but it sounds cool. LOL. I might try it.
[/quote]

lOl, you could be right, but if you are, I wouldn't let it concern me. I will read what I want, when I want and I don't care who knows about it.
There is nothing wrong with reading either of those books, IMO.
The Koran is beautifully written from what I understand, and Islam is not really a religion that preaches violence (you might actually find more violence and intolerance amongst the members of the far right in our country). You are already aware of this, I know, I just wanted to get my opinion out there.

Sad that the government would be something to consider.