LibraryThing

LibraryThing is a multilingual web application for public or private guided manage personal library catalogs and media lists. Therefore, the service can be viewed as a reference management software for computers.

In June 2013, it had sold more than 1.6 million registered members ( in German-speaking over 20,000 ) and more than 82 million cataloged books (meaning copies, no different titles ). The site uses no advertising, but gets Reflink fees from online booksellers, provide the pictures of book covers is available.

History

LibraryThing was developed by Tim Spalding and has since August 29, 2005 available on the internet. In December 2005, the same year, known for her blog City Library Nordenham began to enter their new additions to the adult stock in their LibraryThing library.

In May 2006, AbeBooks, the world's largest online agent antiquarian books, 40 % of the company bought. Abebooks turn was bought in 2008 from Amazon.

After the Wall Street Journal published an article about the project, LibraryThing fell end of June 2006 the Slashdot effect to victims. The site operator had to deploy additional servers because of the increased traffic.

Tim Spalding took at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2006 at a public panel discussion on the topic of Web 2.0 part. In time for the book fair multilingualism of the project by translations of members in the implementation, and a German -language version was now available at www.librarything.de.

In January 2009, the Cambridge Information Group acquired a non-public figured minority stake in LibraryThing.

Functions

User (also called thingamabrarians ) can register for free and up to 200 books online, manage, lead reading lists and wish lists and find other users with the same books. For larger quantities or book for commercial users a fee is required. The early success of LibraryThing can be traced back to the social nature of the Web application, but also on the ease einzupflegen books, and the consideration of bibliographical details.

Populate book collections

( " Add Books " tab) By entering title, author or ISBN holdings of the Library of Congress or, alternatively, further more than 700 (as of September 2013) are international libraries or commercial booksellers such as Amazon.de searched. When the relevant book (including support ) found, the work is automatically populated with a click in your settings file. Search on Amazon runs on the Amazon e -commerce service, search through libraries using the Z39.50 protocol. The libraries include, for example, the National Library of Canada, the Yale University and in the German language area of ​​the Common Library Network, the Central catalog of public libraries in Brandenburg, the composite Public Libraries in Berlin, Heinrich- Heine- University of Dusseldorf, the Braunschweig University Library, the Max - Planck Institute for Human Development and the ETH and University of Zurich ( NEBIS ) and the University of Basel. With a bar code scanner to books can also enter them. Users can also the entry with own or general keywords (tags ), which correspond to its organizational needs and can find books of other users with the same tags. The use of MARC data from large libraries allows individuals a high standard of their book lists.

Social aspect

LibraryThing is considered Web 2.0 applications and social software is similar to how the bookmark management of websites Del.icio.us and the Community Music Service Last.fm. Providers of similar services in the field of books, for example, international Shelfari.com (Amazon), Goodreads.com, ANobii.com, Reader2.com, BooksWeLike.net, BookJetty.com and Listal.com, gurulib.com and German BuecherTreff.de, Lovely Books. de, meinalexandria.de and Reliwa.de. LibraryThing has two blogs.

Although one can not perform its public book catalog also, most users show it to open so that they can find other members with similar tastes. The entire database can be searched by title, author, or so-called tags ( keywords, awarded by the user at the command of her books ). About the feature similar libraries ( like libraries ) can find users who have many of the same books. In April 2006, the application recommendations ( recommendations ) was introduced, the book recommendations in various categories allows (users with similar books ). Since July 2006, there is the possibility to form groups ( groups). In September 2006, integrated LibraryThing links to mooches sites.