LibraryThing ... I like it
I like shiny new toys, it's true. But when those shiny new toys are web-based applications, I tend to get all hypercritical about them (because that's one line item in my job description, for those of you out there wondering what it is that I actually
do) and can't enjoy them.
While there are definitely elements of the UI and overall user experience that I would enhance, the core elements of the
LibraryThing application are really nifty and work well. I like it. It's free if you want to store up to 200 books, and although I don't even think I own 200 books in all, I paid the $10 one-time membership fee for unlimited use. In a few weeks when things calm down here, I'll put in all my books and tag them and get my own fancy tag clouds and blah blah blah...it'll be fun!
The basics (from the
LibraryThing site) are:
* Easy. Catalog your books online; no software required.
* Powerful. LibraryThing mines the full Library of Congress catalog—ideal for collectors and scholars.
* Free. Enter 200 books for free; lifetime membership $10 (beta special).
* Tagged. LibraryThing allows blog/Flickr-style tagging.
* Shared. Show everyone your library, or keep your library private. You can even put a widget on your blog to show people what you're reading.
* Safe. LibraryThing's not going away, but you can export your data.
Good stuff. Give it a try! (Thanks to
The Little Professor, for her updates on using the tool prompted me to try it for myself.)
technorati tag: librarything
