LibraryThing is wonderful!

I discovered LibraryThing at the 2007 SDLA conference One of the presenters was raving about it, and (I have to admit, my ears pricked up at the mention of free books!) I went straight back to my room that night and checked it out.

It didn't take me long, to run through the 200 book entries that a guest membership gets you. I splurged on the lifetime membership - all of $25 (three new paperbacks, or 10 cups of coffee bar java, more or less: not such a huge sacrifice). And oh, the authors I have discovered!!!

I'm fascinated by Janny Wurts way of putting words together, and I never would have discovered P.C. Hodgell on my own, but a recommendation by a fellow LibraryThinger in Britain got me hooked. I could go on with newly discovered authors (and the increase in our ILL stats), but....

In the library, I've used LT as a reader's advisory tool on multiple occasions, as well as passing the site along to a local author whose book was featured on the Early Reviewers list - he was thrilled. I add, rate, and review everything I read, and I've taken to blogging some of the topical title reviews on my personal blog. I've contemplated a YA blog in support of our children's collection, but haven't followed up on that yet. And of course, there are all those potentially free advance reading copies I might be eligible for as a member of the Early Reivewers group.

At present our library doesn't subscribe to LT as an institution. Since we can't fold the reviews and recommendations into our current OPAC, and I'm not sure we really want to link out to Amazon or Alibris rather than the catalog, I'm not sure we will pursue an institutional membership in the near future. But is was certainly interesting to see the use other locations are making of it.

If YOU haven't yet tried LT on for size, I HIGHLY recommend it!