Library Thing

An interesting personal cataloging site is, Library Thing. It allows a person to enter 200 books for free or an unlimited number for 10.00. It get the cataloging information from the Library of Congress or allows the user to manually input the data. Then it adds the ability to add tags, find others with similar collections, Steve Cohen has suggested they add RSS feeds and it looks like it will be in the works. The user can select up to 7 fields to display. It displays covers and provides a link to Amazon. It allows users to include a profile of themselves.

If this grows large enough it could be used to suggest additional subject headings for items. It could show what the mass of readers think the book is about. Not that we would have to follow the trend, but it might give some insight.

It gets information from LC and sends folks to Amazon. Where could the local library fit in? Would there be a simple way to have it tie into Open WorldCat on Yahoo or Google with a link to the local library?

Cataloging

Additions to MARC Code List for Languages

The following codes have been approved for use in the international language code standard, ISO 639-2 (Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages--Part 2: alpha-3 code) and are also being added to the MARC Code List for Languages.

• New code Language name Previously coded
  
• ain Ainu mis (Miscellaneous languages)
  
• alt Southern Altai tut (Altaic (Other))

LC Implementation Plans
Subscribers can anticipate receiving MARC records reflecting these changes in all distribution services not earlier than November 30, 2005.

MARC

Houston Texas Area

I've just sent in my registration for the TLA District 8 Fall Conference. If you are in the greater Houston Area it is worth the trip to Katy. Plenty of sessions to choose from, over 25. Among which is mine, Free Marc Tools.

TLA