How libraries are using LibraryThing
I mentioned last week that Karen Burns had made a LibraryThing account for the Shenandoa Public Library, so they could use the blog widget to display new books on their website.
Since then, Karen has set up a bunch of other libraries in her area with LT accounts and widgets for their websites, including: The Atlantic Public Library, The Gibson Memorial Library/Creston Public Library, Southwestern Community College LRC, Anita Public Library, and SWILSA's own site.
Today, Karen posted a podcast about how she's been using LibraryThing widgets on library webpages.
Another librarian doing some similar cool stuff with LT is John Klima, who created a LibraryThing account which he uses to recommend books on the teen page of his library's website (the header of his widget reads "Recommended Books from the YA Librarian").
In short, we love it. Using the LT widgets like this is clever. It's eye-catching (who doesn't like a book cover?) and current (if you choose 5 most recent books added to your LT catalog, for example, it will automatically update on your widget when you add a new book to LT) - all in all, a good way for libraries to show off their new books.
What else? Do you know of any other libraries using LT? I'd love to hear about it.
We think LibraryThing can do even more for libraries. Tim's been begging libraries to let show you LT data (tags, rating, covers, reviews, etc.) in an OPAC. (WITHOUT fooling around with the OPAC, and without any "technical" help at all. It would all be a short-term "enhanced" mirror on LibraryThing's servers.) He's looking in particular to play around with Innovative Interfaces Millennium OPACs, so shoot him an email if you want to join in the fun.
Since then, Karen has set up a bunch of other libraries in her area with LT accounts and widgets for their websites, including: The Atlantic Public Library, The Gibson Memorial Library/Creston Public Library, Southwestern Community College LRC, Anita Public Library, and SWILSA's own site.
Today, Karen posted a podcast about how she's been using LibraryThing widgets on library webpages.
Another librarian doing some similar cool stuff with LT is John Klima, who created a LibraryThing account which he uses to recommend books on the teen page of his library's website (the header of his widget reads "Recommended Books from the YA Librarian").
In short, we love it. Using the LT widgets like this is clever. It's eye-catching (who doesn't like a book cover?) and current (if you choose 5 most recent books added to your LT catalog, for example, it will automatically update on your widget when you add a new book to LT) - all in all, a good way for libraries to show off their new books.
What else? Do you know of any other libraries using LT? I'd love to hear about it.
We think LibraryThing can do even more for libraries. Tim's been begging libraries to let show you LT data (tags, rating, covers, reviews, etc.) in an OPAC. (WITHOUT fooling around with the OPAC, and without any "technical" help at all. It would all be a short-term "enhanced" mirror on LibraryThing's servers.) He's looking in particular to play around with Innovative Interfaces Millennium OPACs, so shoot him an email if you want to join in the fun.
posted by Abby at 12:47 AM
13 Comments:
When I talk eye-2-eye to librarians at the brick and mortar institutions, I always ask: 'have you heard of librarything.com?'.
So far the answer has been YES 100% of the time.
As far as breaking through the administrative rules that librarys are regulated by, I think that there will be road blocks.
So, keep up the great work. "Rome was not built in a day".
That's weird. I haven't met any librarians who've heard of it--out of the blue, that is.
I would like to see a widget built for this that is not done in javascript so that libraries can use it on their myspace pages. It would be a great tool for us to show what is new in our library on myspace. Currently javascript is not allowed on myspace so the current widget does not work.
I wonder what is allowable. Probably just images...
Well, my UIUC library science class is going to be using LibraryThing for our database assignment. Here's the assignment: "create an entity-relationship diagram with an accompanying 1-2 page narrative outlining a possible data model for the commercial website LibraryThing." Cool, huh? You are now responsible for my professional education. :-)
I have a LibraryThing widget on my blog, but I'm very unhappy that the book covers link to Amazon even if those covers are images I've uploaded to LT myself. Please give some thought to making a widget available which only displays user-uploaded covers. I think many people would be grateful for that.
Yana: Great. When you have one, send it to me?
The question, incidentally, is whether to have an "authoritative" catalog or not. LibraryThing does not--a design decision that was just lazines, but is actually a MAJOR strength.
Lucy; Will do. I want to revamp the widgets anyway. Sorry there's a lot on my plate...
In the future, LibraryThing will be doing more to partner with publishers, but more to pick up the content they produce--book group guides, excerpts, etc.--than to promote specific books. You can put your book into your LibraryThing catalog, tag it, and (although it's a little dodgy) rate and review it. But you can't push it much beyond that.
Thanks,
Tim
Hey, I've been doing that too!
Incidentally, how can I code the widget to put it on our myspace page?
--Jessy the Librarian
Errr, can I ask a question here? Is it legal for me to display Amazon book covers on my website or my Library's website?
Hey. No way to do it on MySpace, I think. They don't allow Javascript (or frames).
It's legal to display Amazon covers, although you need to follow their Terms of Service, which require certain things, notably a link back. This is certainly true for using their AWS data.
For images it's a little less certain, since it could be argued that you haven't *agreed* to any terms (unless, like LibraryThing and many others, you have).
Tim,
My library is a member of a consortium of libraries with a triple eye ILS. I would need to have a serious conversation with you about the OPAC/LT idea, and then with my fellow directors. I like the idea. Let's talk.
--David Dodd
Hi Tim,
Just read the article in Library Journal. I am a small town librarian in the vast state of Montana. I wonder if there is any way in the future to dovetail folks' personal libraries with traditional libraries to expand the holdings? If the owner of the personal library were willing to lend his/her books it could be managed through the library and used as part of an interlibrary loan database. For example, my husband has close to 100 books on chess, way more than our library would want to house. But if he were willing, LibraryThing could give him a tool to share the items and our library could somehow add them to our OCLC holdings. Our SIRSI system could give them a "home location" of "Les Brennan household."
Another thought is, in rural Montana, there are still many towns that don't even have a library. Maybe they could set up a sort of outback consortium for more easily seeing what the neighbors own and asking to borrow the items...
This is a fabulous tool! Thanks!
Nancy Brennan
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