I first looked at Library Thing a while back when I a colleague here or at a meeting really talked it up. I was not as taken with it as many seem to be.
I love to read. I'm a compulsive reader. I have an irrational fear of being caught without something to read. Usually I read fiction, sometimes nonfiction. The majority of what I read is for children because it's hard to keep up with this. I'm not a fast reader.
I wasn't taken by Library Thing at all because I guess I don't care how many people have copies of what I've read, or have read what I've read. I don't use the "other readers who purchased this book.." feature in Amazon or Amazon's reader reviews or other's book lists either.
When I'm looking for something new to read I prefer the serendipity of browsing the stacks in a library or bookstore or the reviews from more vetted sources like NYTBR, Hornbook or Booklist or my colleagues on listservs to those of the nameless masses on Library Thing.
While I could see some use in cataloging my home collection, I just don't feel the need to take the time to do it. It doesn't matter that Library Thing makes it fairly simple. It's just not how I want to spend my time.
As the t-shirt says, "I'd rather be reading."
ALA Island will be closing 1/1/2012
12 years ago
1 comment:
I don't use those features in Amazon either nor do I care how many people have read what I've read. I do like the idea of cataloging my own collection using LibraryThing but I hate that I feel guilty about not having the time to update -- just another thing to feel bad about. I think that this will become just like my plan to index all of our records -- never got too far on that and then the media changed!
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