[Genealib] Using LibraryThing.com to coordinate "look-ups" etc

[Marnie Oakes]

LibraryThing pulls in MARC records when they are available.

Some organizations are so small that they can't really 
afford a software package that provides an 
online catalog that does as much as LibraryThing and
requires
so little knowledge on the part of those entering the data.
For large libraries with a cataloger on staff, I can see
your point.

I may be a library director, but my MARC cataloging skills
are
sadly lacking. I'm delighted to have the MARC entries in my
personal
library and NOT to have had to create them myself.

My own library on LibraryThing is private, but as I emailed
to Mark,
his suggestion for look-ups makes me think that I should put
my
Genealogy books into a public library.


Marnie Oakes, Director
Reuben Hoar Library
41 Shattuck Street
Littleton, MA 01460 
Phone: 978-486-4046
Fax: 978-952-2323 
moakes at mvlc.org

-----Original Message-----
From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of
Laura Spurrier
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 3:12 PM
To: Librarians Serving Genealogists
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Using LibraryThing.com to coordinate
"look-ups" etc

Hi, Mark: and others:

Maybe I'm a little dense, but why would anyone dealing with
a library  
collection -- as opposed to a private collection -- want to
use such  
a site?

I catalog for my society's library, using MARC tags,
downloading  
records when I can, etc.  The records then appear in our
online  
catalog.  For libraries, I don't see why anyone would want
to use  
anything other than the MARC format.

	Laura Spurrier
	Calif. Genealogical Society

On Jul 19, 2007, at 7:53 AM, Mark Wentling wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> I recently joined LibraryThing.com which is a "social
cataloguing"  
> site that enables users to post what books they own
online, tag  
> them with descriptive words/phrases, and then connect with
other  
> users who own the same books or use the same tags to
describe them  
> (the site also has many features for suggesting books that
might  
> interest you).
>
> I've added lots of my books from my personal genealogy and
local  
> history collection and the site tells me that for many of
them I am  
> the only member who owns those titles -- their relative
obscurity  
> suggests to me that it would be valuable for other
genealogists to  
> know that I've got them since I could perform look-ups or
what  
> not.....
>
> I'm curious how many other people on this list are using  
> LibraryThing.com to record their genealogical collections,
and how  
> they might then be using the site to connect patrons with
one  
> another for look-ups and other user needs.
>
> By the way, the site has a "Group" specifically for
genealogists  
> called "Genealogy @ LT", and the site also offers services
to  
> library institutions.....
>
> Check it out at LibraryThing.com (it's free to try and to
catalog  
> up to 200 books).
>
> Thanks,
> Mark Wentling
>
> My LibraryThing pages:
> http://www.librarything.com/profile/mawentling (profile)
> http://www.librarything.com/catalog/mawentling (catalog)
>
> My Homepage:  http://www.indexcel.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> genealib mailing list
> genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
> http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/mailman/listinfo/genealib

_______________________________________________
genealib mailing list
genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/mailman/listinfo/genealib