Thing #19 (Week 8)

I'll admit it, when I first read that Library Thing involved cataloging, I felt a knot in my stomach due to the intense and overwhelming workload of our cataloging class.

I was happily surprised with Library Thing. It was incredibly user friendly (and, fortunately for me, required no application of MARC tags or LC Subject Headings - something at which I am certainly no expert)! I chose to search Amazon.com to find my books, and came up with many more than five for my project - I was able to narrow down to seven. Because my web quest requires students to research an environmental problem in the Chesapeake Bay, I chose non-fiction books that explain the Bay's ecosystems, environmental issues, and preservation efforts. (Included is my husband's book, Maryland Workboats, because it discusses the plight of watermen as the harvests dwindle due to overfishing, overdevelopment and pollution. That, and I could not resist adding his book to my new Library Thing!)

I can see many applications for Library Thing. As noted in CL2.0, it could be used in an elementary school library media center to organize and catalog books. Teachers could use it to recommend books for friends, colleagues, or families - I am thinking of putting a link in my school web page to recommend books that tie in to our curriculum. Professionals could share literature and comment on instructional implications or helpful strategies within. It would be a great way to keep track of books one has read and would like to read. As a good old fashioned book nerd, I appreciate all the applications and possibilities available with Library Thing!

My books:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/bdoodles