Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Social Reading - Goodreads and Shelfari

Reading is normally a private activity, something we do by ourselves.

However, there are several great online communities just for readers to share what they have read and get recommendations on what to read next.




Goodreads bills itself as "the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations." 

You can track books that you've read, rate and review them and give recommendations to other readers.  You can post your reviews and ratings to other social media including Facebook and Twitter.  You can join book discussion groups and take quizzes.  Many authors also use Goodreads.  Some of them blog through the site and have contests.


School Library Journal has a nice how to guide: "Get to Know Goodreads: Share this primer to the social reading site and help teachers and kids connect with great books"



Shelfari "introduces readers to our global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary inclinations and passions with peers, friends, and total strangers (for now)."

Just like Goodreads, you can track books, rate and review them and give recommendations to other readers.  You can also "tag" books with subjects to make them easier to find.  

My favorite part of Shelfari is the widgets.  You can create a widget (a piece of computer code) that you put on your webpage.  This widget will put a bookcase on your webpage that is automatically updated with whatever list you've chosen to post.  On the Legacy Library page, I have posted the books that I've read.  Readers can click on the book cover and read my review of the book as well as other readers' reviews.

Connect with EC Librarians
 

JSmith on GoodReads -goodreads.com/readjunkee  

JSmith on Shelfari - http://www.shelfari.com/readjunkee

LMerrifield on Shelfari - http://www.shelfari.com/echslibrary
 

 

Other social reading sites include LibraryThing and BiblioNasium.

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