LibraryThing and Libraries

LibraryThing and Libraries

LibraryThing is a social cataloging web application of storing and sharing catalogs and various types of book metadata. Anyone can access their catalog from anywhere, including their mobile phone. Since everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books and finds suggestions for what to read next. Users can import information from approximately 700 libraries, including the Library of Congress, National Library of Australia, the Canadian National Catalog, the British Library, and Yale University. 

So how does LibraryThing relate to actual libraries? LibraryThing allows for social tagging to be used as a way for users to catalog. As a recent approach for creating metadata, social tagging, or user tags, has caught the attention of library and information science researchers. Many researchers recommend incorporating social tagging into the library environment and combining folksonomies with formal classification. Studies have shown that it is possible to use social tags to improve the accessibility of library collections. 

Since it has become popular, LibraryThing has a system of OPAC enhancements designed to make cataloging more engaging for libraries that is called LibraryThing for Libraries (LTFL). This system allows library patrons to experience new content and to tag for better accessibility for the library. What is in in for the library? The library can have an updated list of resources that are more useable for its collection, which is a great step for the weeding process for collection development.

http://www.librarything.com/