Tag Archives: LibraryThing

One Possible OCLC Solution

Posted on 2 August 2010 by Rick Mason

I am going to be very presumptuous and put forth a possible solution to the OCLC situation. Ready? Divide OCLC in two. One entity, which we will call OCLC.org (just to keep from having to make up some name for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cataloging, Ethics, ILS, Libraries, Licensing, News, OCLC, Online Databases, Online Services, OPAC, Open Access, Open Source, Search, Software | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

BookChaser

Posted on 23 August 2009 by Rick Mason

I wrote a post about the BookChaser Editions service last year, but encountered a reference to another service they offer, and this led me to others: BookChaser Covers : compares cover images available from Amazon, Google Books, LibraryThing, and Open … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, Library 2.0, OCLC, Online Services, Search | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ISBN-UPC-EAN Lookups

Posted on 17 June 2009 by Rick Mason

If you are involved with the selection or ordering process, then you are very likely to be familiar with searching for items by the International Standard Book Number, or ISBN.  The newer, 13-digit ISBN is actually based on the European … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, Library 2.0, OCLC, Online Services, Publishing, Search, XML | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

LibraryThing on the ARL Report

Posted on 23 February 2009 by Rick Mason

Research Libraries Clobber OCLC Policy is a title, and a descriptive one at that, for LibraryThing’s report of the ARL’s report on the OCLC licensing policy kerfluffle (I keep coming back to this word). It is, however, an interesting read, … Continue reading →

Posted in Copyright, Libraries, Licensing, OCLC | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

LibraryThing and Authors

Posted on 7 February 2009 by Rick Mason

LibraryThing has implemented the start of a solution for the problem of distinguishing authors with the same names. This has been a challenge for libraries since the beginning of cataloging.  The accepted solution thus far has been Authority Records.  I … Continue reading →

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LibraryThing Partners Up

Posted on 21 January 2009 by Rick Mason

LibraryThing has partnered with Cambridge Information Group (Bowker, AquaBrowser, ProQuest, Serials Solutions, and RefWorks), though Tim Spaulding still retains a majority stake. This means that we will be seeing a lot more of LibraryThing for Libraries in the future (good … Continue reading →

Posted in ILS, Libraries, Library 2.0, News, OPAC, Software, Web Design | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on LibraryThing Partners Up

The Elusive Moose and OCLC

Posted on 8 December 2008 by Rick Mason

The Elusive Moose and OCLC is a post over at LibraryThing‘s Thingology blog that is yet another good effort at explaining why the new OCLC records license is not a good thing for anyone (including, in the long run, OCLC, … Continue reading →

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A Useful Amplification

Posted on 19 November 2008 by Rick Mason

A Useful Amplification of Records That Are Unavoidably Needed Anyway is an essay by Brett Bonfield which, dare I phrase it this way, usefully amplifies several of the major web-based entities which are intertwined with libraries.  These include (but aren’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Cataloging, Classification, Definitions, Libraries, OCLC, Online Databases, Online Services, OPAC, Search, WebSearch | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Useful Amplification

Cataloging Flash Mob

Posted on 18 November 2008 by Rick Mason

In Beverly, Massachusetts a mob of 20 LibraryThing enthusiasts cataloged the entire collection of St. John’s church library, as well as the rector’s book collection, consisting of over 2,000 books (averaging 100 books per person). Akin to an Amish barn-raising, … Continue reading →

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Open Shelves Classification

Posted on 8 July 2008 by Rick Mason

Tim Spalding of LibraryThing has started a new ambitious project: develop a new shelf classification system that would eliminate the baggage of the 100+ year-old systems many libraries have in place, as well as create a system free from the … Continue reading →

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