LibraryThing for Libraries has launched! Without needing to alter your existing ILS software beyond a few lines of javascript in your OPAC’s page footer, you can add the following functionality to your book catalog:
- Links to other editions and translations.
- Links to “similar books”.
- A Tag Cloud, which can do wonders to supplement our often obscure subject headings.
Features that are forthcoming include patron reviews and ratings.
The first place to go live with this is the Danbury Library in CT. Check out their catalog to see how well everything integrates.
How do you get this? Well, for now at least, you just need to contact Tim or Abby at LibraryThing and take a bit of time to set things up. If they get too swamped in requests, they may need to start charging a “setup fee”. Their blog entry gives quite a bit of detail on what they’re doing.
from the NGC4Lib listserv
