Ross:
I use LibraryThing and BookCollectorz to catalog my library. I have several thousand books as well as several thousand CDs, DVDs, video and audio tapes, and copies of every article I have consulted in writing articles for publication. I also use it (LT) to catalog books I have consulted for use in genealogical research or law review articles.
LibraryThing connects me to others who have read the same obscure items I have read, and, might, therefore, lead me to other books to read.
As Tim noted you can use LC metadata with the books so you can have LCSH if you want or use tagging or both. While TIm does not want it used this way, I do use it for titles I want to read, as well as those I own. Again, I can tag them. I'd really like to see the capability to use the audio and video standard numbers as well as a connection to CDDB and IMDB. I can manually enter articles, but I'd like that as part of the program. You can do that overnight, right, Tim?
BookCollectorz allows me to value my collection for insurance purposes and to create html pages for items I want to sell.
I see both programs as avatars for my professional life and work.
You might want to look at some of the work being done at Microsoft on MyLife Bits, http://research.microsoft.com/barc/mediapresence/MyLifeBits.aspx
LibraryThing seems to be a start in that direction in a distributive network way.
Steven C. Perkins
Coordinator of Reference Services
U of Houston Libraries
Ross Singer <ross.singer_at_LIBRARY.GATECH.EDU> wrote: Sadly, I'm not kidding. I'm also not confusing it with an OPAC. I am
trying to figure out the motivations of those who willingly take the
time to enter their personal libraries in it.
I'm a lazy user. I choose to put my bookmarks in unalog (rather than
del.icio.us or furl) because I can contribute (and benefit from) the
code4lib group.
I use last.fm because I just listen to music and it figures out on its
own what else I might want to listen to. I don't have to do anything.
If you want crack, it's found at last.fm.
I see a lot of potential uses for LT but I don't use it (and, as I
mentioned, am lazy and probably won't) and so therefore I'm curious.
Why do you use it? Where do you expect it to go?
-Ross.
Received on Thu Jun 22 2006 - 11:38:25 EDT