An introduction to librarything

For my online tutorial, it seems fitting that I would show someone (or many people, even) how to use Librarything, a web-based, personal library management system. Librarything is a site I use regularly to catalog, organize, and so keep track of all my books and additions to my personal library. Though certainly not perfect (it does not have the exhaustive, user-provided inventory of Goodreads or the sleek, predominately visual interface of Shelfari), I find that Librarything is the most balanced personal library website because it is easy to use, powerful in terms of customizability, and highly social. Additionally, of the three sites, it has the most powerful and accurate recommendation system, which I use often.

For this particular tutorial, it seems the best medium would be a video cast, using software that would allow me to record my screen and any actions that I perform. This way, I would be able to actually show someone how to sign up for and use Librarything’s features, leading them from one topic to another in a way that is easy to follow along with, which I think is a much better method of delivery than an audio-only podcast or a website with text and static screenshots. Though Librarything is very easy to use, I think it is certainly beneficial to see a quick tutorial such as what I have in mind, because there are a number of advanced features, such as tag watching, library-specific searching and adding, and the recommendation system, that want a thorough introduction. The most likely audience for this tutorial would be librarians, but really anyone with a lot of books or a desire to connect with other people based on reading habits could benefit from learning how to use Librarything.

To begin with, I would, as we discussed in class, give the viewer a basic introduction to just what Librarything is, how it functions as a personal library management tool, and briefly discuss the features available, a sort of “big picture” introductory discussion that would run parallel to footage of a completed Librarything profile and well-stocked library. I would then back-peddle and begin with footage of a typical desktop and show navigating to the Librarything website and the process of setting up an account. Once a profile has been created, there are a number of routes one can take, but I would begin by explaining the profile page and the various ways in which it can be edited and customized (including advanced display styles and Twitter/Facebook syncing, and the various swap site statistics, which can seem confusing at first), in lieu of going through the home view and its features.  From there, I would get into the meat of the site, which is adding and tagging books through the “Add Books” tab. Ideally, I would show the process of adding books with ten or so titles, using catalogs such as Amazon.com and the Library of Congress, and how they can be sorted into various sub-libraries of one’s entire collection. I would then show how tagging works, as well as viewing tags already associated with individual titles so as to facilitate some amount of uniformity, when possible.

Once I have introduced the management side of Librarything, I would then show how to utilize the social aspects of the site, many features of which are accessed from the home page. From there, one can see recommendations provided by the site itself and by other users based on coinciding interests and common titles, see what friends and members with similar libraries have added and rated, see statistics about one’s collection, and view tag watch updates, a feature that allows you to read member discussions concerning particular topics (as defined by book tags). I would  show how to join groups and make friends, as well as how to pick interesting libraries and connect with other members with similar tastes. I would briefly discuss widgets and common knowledge, which allows one to edit title and author information and so earn “helper” badges. I would likely end by displaying a few other fun and useful features, such as the Early Reviewers group and how to view advanced statistics (language, male vs. female, dead vs. alive, etc.).

Hopefully my tutorial, if created, would both give a comprehensive overview of Librarything’s features and promote its utility.

Screenshots! (Click to see larger images)

Introduction and statement of scope

Librarything homepage: pretty minimal so far

Adding books!

Tagging, rating, and choosing collections

Your library view with a few books

Some features of the homepage, including memberships and discussions

Just one part of Librarything's robust rating system

Statistics for your collection, including information on dead vs. alive and men vs. women (too many men)