The New York Times covers LibraryThing
Today's (Sunday) New York Times has a wonderful article on LibraryThing, A Cozy Book Club, in a Virtual Reading Room by Anne Eisenberg (Business section, page three).It's everthing we could have hoped for—sympathetic, book-focused (albeit in the business section), member-focused (way to go kageeh), and with none of the common misunderstandings.* I knew they were going to run something, but I thought it was focused on tagging, with LibraryThing as the first example. But it's all about LibraryThing. And boy is it positive!
It goes without saying that I'm a bookish guy. But most of my non-book reading has shifted to the Web. I don't get magazines anymore, except National Geographic, and my opinion of the "mainstream media" is not what it was when I read three papers a day and had never heard of an RSS feed. But the Times is the stable point. I read it from an absurdly young age. I have flash-bulb memories of a half-dozen front pages. I have the edition from my son's birth wrapped up for preservation better than the Codex Sinaiticus. When, as the Economist** said, the last newspaper reader tosses aside the last newspaper, it'll be the Times, he'll be me, and he'll keep it in a pile in the living room for months—dipping in now and then—until his wife threatens to recycle it, and he moves it surreptitiously to his office.
So Vivat New York Times, and thanks for noticing us.
*LibraryThing is for dating. LibraryThing is about competition. LibraryThing is about selling books. LibraryThing is a tech story, etc.
**A magazine I'd like to get, but it's so expensive!
posted by Tim at 9:30 AM
26 Comments:
Library Link of the Day linked to this article, which led me to your site. It's a great idea, and I've mentioned it on my blog. Keep up the great work!
Congratulations!
I haven't read the article, but I' m such a huge fan of what you have accomplished that I hope one day, I will have told as many people about this site as the NYT did.
It is so nice to be on a site dedicated to book lovers. Not just folks out for money (not that that is a bad thing) but your love of books shines through. I consider being a book lover to like being a parent. Unless you are one, it is like you are speaking in tongues to someone that isn't.
Thank you all.
Congrats! Cute article.
I didn't know you existed until I opened up my Times this morning! I waited over 10 years to get delivery of the Times here in Minneapolis, and I've never been happier to see it as when I finished the good article on LibraryThing. I took a look at the site. I logged in. I joined up. Thank you New York Times, and THANK YOU LibraryThing.
I read the article and joined immediately. I've been using a spreadsheet to track books I want to own and read but never thought I'd get to catalog what I already own. This is awesome! And timely, as I've just dedicated a room to become a library! Thank you, thank you.
I'd love to read the article, does anyone have a link to it? Thanks and congrats!
Maybe you can give us some statistics about how many new users join on March 4th (and maybe the following days). It would be interesting to see just how many people join because of the article (of course it is impossible to know if the paper was indeed th reason, but I think it is reasonable that if there is a spike, it's because of the NYT).
Here's the NY Times link. If you don't want to register for the Times (though why wouldn't you?), it's also syndicated on News.com.
Tim, your affection for the Times is elegantly expressed, and shared. I'm very happy to work in an office covered with old papers, even if I too sometimes try to surreptitiously recycle the old ones.
Some years ago, when I lived in New York, a few friends and I went down to Times Square at 4am to watch the last of the delivery trucks rumble out of the printing plant, before they moved it to Queens. The best part about it was that there were at least a dozen other people doing the same thing -- an accidental predawn meeting of a fan club we hadn't know we belonged to. We applauded as the last truck pulled out, and the teamster tipped his hat to us as he drove off.
This "breaking news" of LibraryThings book lovers Web service from the print media giant New York Times reaps rewards for both your site and NYT.
I discovered LT through folksomony delicious way back in September 2005.
Logical outcome: LibraryThing has the ability to publish on paper and find a growing customer base.
My personal congratulations to you Tim.
The last newspaper is probably likely to be from somewhere a bit more low tech than the LT hi-tech mecca Portland though?
:)
Travelling Librarian: Love your pic. Tori Amos is so cute, but she seems a little troubled.
I've heard that reporters hang outside the Times to pick up the first paper, taking advantage of the gap between when the Times and the Globe release. Maybe that's a myth. (I suppose it is now at least with regard to the Globe, since they're owned by the same people.)
I think we had about 2,000 new users in the 12-hour period since it came live. That's 3 or 4x normal. The traffic was up too. More important, the traffic and the users are quality. Slashdot, Del.icio.us an such have given us these *floods*, and left barely a thimble behind. They wanted to see the latest Web 2.0 thing; only a few also loved books to death. The NYT readers are here to stay, I think.
Hey, I even got some New York Times coverage today. And only one factual error.* But they did include a weblink at the end, thankfully. There must be something good in the air.
*No book, alas; a book-length website instead.
That's great! Congratulations. A very nice piece indeed. NYT all round!
I think it's a great model. I wish I had more of it. One of my dorms at Georgetown had a friendly and intellectually interesting resident Jesuit, but the rest just had the usual RA, policing for liquor.
Tim sez:
"I think we had about 2,000 new users in the 12-hour period since it came live. That's 3 or 4x normal."
Wow ... does that mean that in a normal week, L.T. is averaging 7,000-10,000 new users? That sounds high to me, but it's obviously great growth!
As a Connecticut librarian, I'm always clipping NYT articles and passing them around; today my Swedish colleague put me on to Library Thing, which led me back to the NYT article which I will clip and pass around. I love it!
BTRIPP: No, sorry that's double. We do something like 500/day, although I don't follow it very carefully.
I am a new user as a direct result of the NYT article. How wonderful to know I am not alone in my love of books and how brilliant to be able to catalog, share and talk about them with like-minded bibliophiles. Can't wait to get started!
think it's a great model. I wish I had more of it. One of my dorms at Georgetown had a friendly and intellectually interesting resident Jesuit
When you make your second million, I think you should endow a new college somewhere -- Spalding College has a nice ring to it.
My second million?
Guys, I'm a *thousandaire*.
One of my dorms at Georgetown...
Hello Tim, from the Librarian who introduced herself @ Longfellow Books--I went to GU too, CAS 91.
What dorm are you referring to? I loved Father Bill in New South. Hmm. That sounds bad. Well! I'd love to chat about Hoya-ness someday.
I FW'd the NYT to a bunch of people, so psyched for y'all. Big congrats!
I was CAS 94. The priest I remember was in Saint Mary's; I can't remember his name, actually.
Another Hoya in Portland? Impossible.
Come to the reading tonight?
Impossible?! I've only met one other Maine Hoya, in Brunswick 10 years ago.
I work Tues nites, alas cannot attend...but read Thingology regularly, so will keep my eye out for future events.
Hoya Saxa! (I've always wanted to say that.)
Hope you have a great party!
Well, you'll find me Hoya pride is pretty minimal—I never went to any sporting event, for example. But I do hope you come to the next event. Not sure what that'll be.
T
Didn't think I would find the Hoya alumni club here on LibraryThing. :-) I'm CAS 91 (and since we're talking about Freshman dorms, I was in Harbin). Jenny A.: it sounds like we were at GU at the same time - maybe we knew each other there? Tim: I'm a big fan of LibraryThing, and am talking up your ideas about OPACs being more fun and the innovations you're implementing at MPOW and when I give talks elsewhere.
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