LibraryThing | Catalog your books online
Rated • 276 reviews • library resources, books • librarything.com
I feel I must revise my review of this site. I still think it's a great site, however, I must protest, in a kind and gentle way, to the developers somewhat derogatory reference towards "library officials." From the page: "Tags are a simple way to categorize books according to how you think of them, not how some library official does."
Please keep in mind that librarians go to school and take entire classes on cataloging and how to organize information. There is a method to the madness. Assignment of subject headings is not arbitrary.
And to the developers confusion as to why that book about the archeological places in Turkey had the subject heading of "Ionia", well, from dictionary.com [dictionary.com] , the definition of Ionia: "An ancient region of western Asia Minor along the coast of the Aegean Sea. Greek settlers established colonies here before 1000 B.C. The seaports of Ionia flourished from c. 8th century B.C. until the Turkish conquest of the 15th century A.D." That's why.
In the end, I have chosen not to use this site. I used Library of Congress Subject Headings and so few users on this site actually use subject headings that there was no consistency. My idea of "horror" often was quite different than others. But that is the nature of the system.
Library Thing is still a great idea for those people who don't eat, sleep, breath and dream libraries. And yes, I am a librarian. :)
