Booklove in a Connected World
I was in the process of organizing and rationalizing my bookshelf last night.
As is the usual case, my geek-self couldn’t help but start cataloging into a database the latest iteration of my library.
And so I started typing away in a Google Docs spreadsheet so that the list would be cloud-accessible.
But then memory struck, and I recalled that I had signed up for a web-based service called Shelfari, a library manager of sorts. So I drew up the web page, and lo and behold my account was still blessedly active.
What is Shelfari? To copy-and-paste their website’s about us section :
Based in Seattle, Shelfari introduces readers to our global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary inclinations and passions with peers, friends, and total strangers (for now). Shelfari is a gathering place for authors, aspiring authors, publishers, and readers, and has many tools and features to help these groups connect with each other in a fun and engaging way. Our mission is to enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word.
Shelfari’s members:
- Build virtual bookshelves to express themselves to their friends and to the world
- Discover books that are popular in their trusted circles of friends
- Influence peers by rating and discussing books online
- Discover and learn from people with similar reading tastes
- Participate in online book groups to further explore literature and share ideas
- Interact with and learn from authors
I initially hesitated — how can this be this website be universally applicable to my library management needs?
And so I started using it.
And as I started effortlessly adding up book after book after book, intuitively adding metadata – i’ve read it, i plan to read it; 1 to 5 star-based ratings; i have it/i plan to buy; user-generated reviews; tagging – i realized just how user-friendly this service was.
But the transition from user-friendly to downright useful becomes apparent with the site’s social networking features.
Diving into friends’ and groups’ respective library shelves is a fun, time-wasting breeze. It’s a foray into a veritable treasure trove of books and titles just waiting to be discovered, as aligned to your unique and particular interests. Think of it as social bookmarking, but this time literally “book”-marking. And this process of discovery then leads to new books for future purchase and consumption. No wonder Amazon.com bought Shelfari last August 2008.
But of course, back to the initial intention that got me to rediscover Shelfari – Library Database Management.
Other people might say that this is just an obsessive-compulsive impulse being satiated, and they may be right. But the truth is I really don’t care. Shelfari is manna from heaven in maintaining an online database of my books, presented in a visual manner that is just intuitive and appealing (although I wish that I could organize the books into sections/categories).
Under the span of an hour, I was able to find my books and fill up my Shelfari library shelf and – voila! – my physical library had become represented, virtually.
Now if only they can link my shelf into Stanza and/or Zinio Reader, that would most certainly close the loop 
—
Let’s connect on Shelfari here.
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a friend of mine recommended this site to me last year…didn’t know it was this cool! lemme try it out.