Many readers familiar with social networking have written it off as the online equivalent of a hook-up bar or an overused tool of the ever-networking businessperson. Not so. Readers are connecting online to share their ideas and thoughts on how literature affects their world, from education to escapism. Hundreds of thousands of readers joined Shelfari (http://www.shelfari.com) this summer to discuss their books and meet like-minded readers. Among them were many librarians, who use Shelfari to connect with patrons and find that next book to read.
Shelfari is a gathering place for readers, where they can discuss the books that matter to them with those who love them too. Our readers build virtual shelves with the books they have read or plan to read; then they share book reviews and discuss the titles with others in the community. Shelfari introduces them to readers with similar libraries, and encourages them to discuss books or topics, or simply congratulate each other on their great taste.
While we always intended the web site to be a social gathering place, the level of activity of Shelfari's members has honestly surprised us. Shelfari readers actively send notes to each other, post in discussions, and invite friends to join in. Our readers tell us that in a busy world, Shelfari serves as an important way to connect with their literate friends, who may have drifted away after college, jobs, and kids entered their lives. Many also find new friends who love the books they love.
Shelfari readers join groups to discuss topics as diverse as
- Young Adults Books that Adults Should Read (http://www.shelfari.com/groups/10334/about)
- Cook's Books (http://www.shelfari.com/groups/10004/about)
- Multicultural Children's Books (http://www.shelfari.com/groups/10553/about)
Anyone can start a group and invite others to join — yes, that means you. There are a number of groups for librarians as well.
While Shelfari is an online, social book club, it also serves as a great place to catalog your books. You can build bookshelves, create lists, and "tag" your books with keywords so you can view them again. You can also write notes about your personal copies of books, note when you read the book, and record who you lent it to and when it's due back.
That said, there are a number of complementary sites that allow book collectors to efficiently catalog their books in a less social environment, then import them to Shelfari. At LibraryThing (http://www.librarything.com), users can quickly search and find books, and add them to lists. LibraryThing even supports a barcode reader to scan books in. Google's newly introduced MyLibrary is similar in its cataloging processes. Hardcore collectors and those with very large libraries often use these sites to build their catalog, then export those books to Shelfari where they discuss them.
We at Shelfari have had a wonderful time building our site and seeing it grow. Most of us started in digital music and online sports, so the opportunity to leverage the power of the Internet and the new Web 2.0 era of interactive features to make reading even more engaging is very rewarding. Tell us what you think of the site and help us make it better. To find out how librarians can get involved, check out our FAQ for librarians (http://www.shelfari.com/Faq/Librarians.aspx).
Dave Hanley is Shelfari's Vice President of Marketing. He has been working in web media for several years developing and promoting music and book web sites for large audiences. Dave specializes in creating and marketing massively popular media web properties and loves applying his talents to the book world. He spent a half a decade working in economic development, helping NGOs and banks in Asia and Latin America implement and assess microcredit programs. This included a stint as a Fulbright scholar with Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Dave has an MBA from Stanford and Bachelors and Masters degrees in Public Policy from Brigham Young University.