LibraryThing for Libraries
(Catalog Enhancements)
LibraryThing is a great website for individuals to keep track of their books, write and read reviews, and connect with people all over the world who share an interest in books. http://www.librarything.com/
LibraryThing for Libraries (LTFL) provides existing library systems (ILS/OPAC's) with a new and engaging way for patrons to search and browse. I will be writing a series of posts on what this service has to offer.
If I am looking for a new book to read, I might go to the local library and type in an author that I know I like. A list of books by that person will come up. And that's it. What if I want to read something similar, but by a different author? I could do a subject search, but, more than likely, I will get an overwhelming list of titles to wade through. A keyword search? Even more overwhelming. This is where LibraryThing for Libraries comes in.
LTFL offers two enhancement packages: Catalog Enhancements and Reviews Enhancements. This post will go over the basics of the catalog enhancement.
Catalog Enhancement Package
This package provides more data for each book and more points for searching. All of the search information relates back to what can be found in the library's OPAC.
-Book recommendations. High-quality recommendations of similar books that point to books available in the library. These recommendations are based on data collected from the over 20 million books on LibraryThing - what books members own and how they rate and tag them.
-Tag browsing. Tag clouds for books, and tag-based searches drawn from the 40 million tags added by LibraryThing members. LTFL has preselected appropriate tags (excludes the highly personal), and has a rating system for the risque. Each library can choose to include them or not.
-Other editions and translations. Provides links to other editions and translations of a work that can be found in the library.
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