"How many books do you have cataloged in your LibraryThing account? How do you decide what to include - everything you have, everything you've read - and are there things you leave off?"At this moment I have 511 books listed, tagged and commented on. Only 11 have reviews though. I have quite a few boxes in the spare room that are full of books. I just haven’t got around to listing them yet. Well I have only been a member since the beginning of March!
I'm a firm believer in including every book I physically have in my possession, whether it has been read or not. That's why I catalogued a couple of Rupert the Bear Annuals from when I was a child and then there are my Teach Yourself books, landscape gardening and DIY books too. I have a few e-books listed and I think I've decided to add the lot in but I have to figure out how I'm going to catalogue them properly. I have about 180 not added, mostly those termed "classics". I don't have any audio books but if I did I'd put them in too.
What I don't add are books I want. So no wish list books are mixed up with the owned. I actually put my wish list on my wiki page on LT. It took me a little while to figure out how to use it but I update it regularly now and there's a link to it off my LT profile page - and then of course there's the two wish lists at Amazon UK, for fiction and non-fiction.
I don't add books that I no longer own either, meaning those books that I had and lost prior to joining LT. Being a book hoarder it's unlikely that I'll give away or mooch or sell any in my collection so that problem won't arise in future, and I really don't intend to loose any more!
Library Books though are a grey area. As I've only just managed to get my new library card after changing addresses I haven't visited the library yet. Not sure what I'll do then, but I suppose if I want to review the books on LT I'll have to add them in to my catalogue. That's a "we'll see what happens when…" decision I think.
What are your thoughts on library books, e-books and wish lists?
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I post my wish list books to Amazon, or I just try to remember. My Bookmooch wishlist has tons of books on it, too. Library books are a source of confusion for me too. I want to include them because I've read them, but if I don't own them it seems weird. Usually if I list a library book I'll tag it "library book" so I can distinguish them.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I only list books that I own. that means there are a few that I haven't read -- but I've read most of them. I don't own any e-books or audiobooks, so that's easy!
ReplyDeleteI haven't written any reviews yet, but I just started a group for my summer online class, so I expect there will be some reviewing going on with that.
I don't see the point of putting wish list books in my library - that seems very strange to me. I do list library books, as I explained in my response. I am tracking the books I read this year, so I list them all.
ReplyDeleteI have never understood the bias a lot of book fanatics have against audiobooks. I've responded to that before, but I think it's ridiculous. Of course I list them! If you had a commute like mine, you'd have a lot of audiobooks, too.
Marie - I'm glad it's not just me that gets a little confused over library books. I probably will list them though when I eventually get around to borrowing some.
ReplyDeleteDr Bad Ass - Hello and thanks for the comment. Unlike you I have too many unread books in my collection, I'm a charity book shop freak so whenever I go out I usually come back with a bag full of half price or 3 for a £1 books, which just get put onto the ever increasing mountain of "TBR".
Lisa - A book is a book is a book, you're right. I don't have a problem with audio books so why should I feel strange cataloguing e-books. Something for me to think about there!
I've been on LT since Feb. but didn't actually do anything (like add a book or check out the groups) until the end of April, so really I am just getting my feet wet. You are way ahead of me in cataloging your books!
ReplyDeleteWow, you have entered your books fast! I am only at 178. I never knew about the wiki page, I am off to check that out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't put my wishlist bookson my account, but it is a good idea to add it to my profile :)
ReplyDeleteDo you know that I forget to tag? I wish I could remember to do that, but feel I am lucky to remember to get them posted...lol!
ReplyDeleteI keep a wish list on Amazon as well; although I'm thinking of migrating that to my blog now.
ReplyDeleteI do add library books to my LibraryThing catalog, so I can post reviews.
Interesting how many ways there are to "LibraryThing!"
LisaMM - I have the soul of a filing clerk... LOL Give me things to input into a list and I'll do it quite happily. That was my first ever job by the way, Filing Clerk, oh how the years roll by.
ReplyDeleteMyJourney - Wiki is pretty cool. I have my main page which lists books read and reviewed in 2008 and then I have a sub page to that which has my wish list. It can be a bit time consuming but so satisfying when you've finished.
ReplyDeleteKBookReviews - Yeah I mean you go to all that trouble to actually choose the books you really really want, well it should be put somewhere so everyone else can see how acquisitive you are too LOL.
ReplyDeleteJ Kaye - I tag as I go but I still forget the most simple ones like fiction or paperback and so I have to go back and add them in. The new tag page is a big help though.
ReplyDeleteToo Fond of Books - I've decided that I will add Library Books when I get around to borrowing some and I'm going to add my e-books too.
ReplyDeleteI've linked to my amazon wish lists here and I have my Wiki WL on LT so I'm good to go.
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ReplyDeleteHi! First, thanks for your nice comment on my blog! My wishilists are on Amazon..and notice the (s) on the end of wishlists! hahah..Yes, I have one list that has the books I really would like and another for books I might want to get! Because you asked about them, I now have added links to my wishlists...Thanks!! haha..I've added you to my Google Reader too!
ReplyDeleteAllison from Allison's Attic Blog
In my view, wishlists are what Amazon accounts exists for. :-) I can see why people might want to keep a wishlist section in their LT catalogue, but for me it's something to keep elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteEbooks and audiobooks count as books as far as I'm concerned, although obviously I have a certain amount of bias here, what with having over a dozen titles of my own available in ebook format.
Allison - Yup I have two wish lists at Amazon as well one for Fiction and one for Non-Fiction and they're growing fast.
ReplyDeleteI found an rss feed to let me know best sellers, movers and shakers and Hot New Releases.
If I ever get round to buying all the ones that have popped up on my reader I may be making a place to live out of books LOL.
Jules - I agree about amazon and wish lists, I rarely actually buy from there unless I'm so pushed I can't get out but I can certainly add to my wish lists.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any ebooks, but I've counted the few audiobooks that I've downloaded from librivox - why not? They're all the same thing, just in different forms.
ReplyDeleteI also do add library books, I'm quite enamored of the idea of seeing all my latest reading in one place. I do keep a list elsewhere, but somehow it's just nicer to see them all on LT. Also, that means I can review them, which I like.
Meghan - I sort of made a pact with myself that anything I read now I'll write a review on so when I do go to the library I'll have to list the books I borrow so I can review them.
ReplyDeleteThings work out so simply when you just stop trying to figure out which is the best way to do something.
Yes, Amazon is great for making lists. I just need to stop spending so much time keeping track of all my lists, and more time actually reading the books.
ReplyDeleteFiling clerk was my first job, too. But I like to think we all have the souls of librarians - it sounds so much more interesting than filing clerk!
I never thought of adding my wishlist to LT. I use Amazon, where I have 2 wishlists - one for books I like to own and the other for books I'd like to look at before I decide whether to buy them.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the wiki page on LT - I'd better have a look.
If you can get your head around wiki, (it's not difficult, just different) then I think it's a really good tool and as it's there to be used until LT say otherwise, why not use it for a wish list.
ReplyDeleteJoy - Sorry I missed your comment there until I read back again.
ReplyDeleteLOL I was 17 when I was a filing clerk that's more years than I care to remember. I'd much prefer the librarian one though if a choice of souls are on offer. A Millionairess would be even better though HAH!
I'm pretty anal about my tagging, too. It took so long to do it for the first massive entry, but now I do it as I enter books. I find it annoying, but it's just such a useful tool that I force myself not to be lazy about it :-)
ReplyDeleteMy LT catalog is for books I actually own also. I delete books I pass on, with the exception recently of ER books. I still have mixed feelings about that, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI have a separate wish list and don't use LT for that. I hadn't thought about the wiki feature for that . . . Something to look into!
Hey Imp, I just tagged you with a meme, play along if you want ...
ReplyDeletehttp://sheistoofondofbooks.wordpress.com/