Librarything

Zenow · Jul 6, 2006

Social Networking for Bookworms
[FONT=times new roman,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,times,serif]By AARON RUTKOFF
June 27, 2006[/FONT]
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If bookcases are a way to casually display interests dear to the owner, the Internet throws open the doors on reading habits. Social-networking and book retailers' sites are already rife with lists of readers' favorite material, allowing people to compare notes on taste and compatibility.
But for Tim Spalding, a computer programmer and bibliophile, listing a few titles in an online profile isn't enough. He sought a way to catalog his entire book collection -- and to check out what was lining other people's shelves.
The Gimmick

To satisfy his curiosity, Mr. Spalding created a Web site where members can create library-quality catalogs of the books they own and display their collection to fellow online bookshelf browsers. "When I come into someone's house, the first thing I do is look at their bookshelf," Mr. Spalding admits. "This is totally that thing -- it's books as mental furniture."

He launched LibraryThing.com in August as a way to bring the organizational joys of the librarian to a wider array of book nerds. Ten months later, his concept has blossomed into a vibrant community with 47,670 registered members -- some paying -- and a user-created catalog that includes more than 3.6 million volumes. In theory, that makes LibraryThing the 58th largest library in the U.S.
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I know this raises privacy issues, but it does sound interesting. For one, it would finally solve my problem when giving people books: what is to their taste, and what do they already have?

JohnAdcox · Aug 29, 2006

I'm a member! Alas, my wife and I are not quite halfway through the cataloging process, but we're having a blast. Come visit us, if you like:
http://www.librarything.com/profile/JohnAdcoxCarolBales

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