Books, Readers and Beyond: #54 Social Networking Though Books

iHCPL the Next Generation #54

Exercise#1
I am currently a member of two book clubs, both meeting monthly. One is a staff book discussion group and the other is the local Science Fiction/Fantasy book club. They both have the same format: tell us what you've read this month. You get recommendations about books that you may or may not have read and get to put you own two cents in. I much prefer the in-person clubs because you have a set time & place & your full attention. Plus you can get together for other stuff too.


Exercise#2
I've already implemented a book club into my Library. My self & another staff member reached out to an existing book club, the Science Fiction/Fantasy book club, that had been booking our conference room. I attended a few meetings and proposed a partnership that has been beneficial to both sides. They got a regular meeting space and advertising & we got a core group that has grown since implementation.

Using Reading Group Guides, I searched for a book that the Science Fiction/Fantasy book club could discuss. I liked this site's ability to search by genre and specific genre, not just "fiction". I found Fahrenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury. However, having just one title could be boring.


Exercise#3
I search for Raise the Titanic on a couple of social networks:
LibraryThing shows an average rating of 3.69 out of 5 points.
Shelfari shows a nearly 4 out of 5 stars average.
Goodreads shows an average rating 3.78 out of 5.
I'm not suprised that the ratings were similar, it is a solid book. I like that these sites allow for searching without needing to be member.

iHCPL #18 Social Networking

I've looked at Social Networking sites. If I were to join one, it might be Facebook or Yahoo!360 . I'm not interested in MySpace , it seems too hyped up. Facebook and Yahoo!360 make a better first impression on me. I'm not sure I want to wade too far into Social Networking at this time. I already belong to several Yahoo!Groups and like the contact I have in these groups. This contact is similar to some of the more specialized Social Networking sites like Dogster or Catster , but with my special interests all under the Yahoo! umbrella.