Online Book Communities

Online Communities

Goodreads

Goodreads is a great website because it offers excellent up to date reviews on a lot of books. Another thing I liked about Goodreads is it already has shelves made for the user making it easier to organize your books. Allowing the user to have the options (read, currently reading, want to read) is a great way to help the user organize their books. I will admit I had a bit of trouble using Goodreads at first because I couldn’t figure out how to add the books to the different shelves. After working with the program a bit, I was able to place each book on its appropriate shelf. The layout of the webpage is very plain but seems to have a lot of information crowded together on one page. I disliked the setup of the homepage because there is a window for pop-up ads and I feel this can be a distraction for some users. I believe a student would be able to navigate around this website easily while placing their books on the appropriate shelves.

 

Library Thing

I had never heard of Library Thing before this assignment. One thing I liked about this program is the sign-up process was very easy.  However there was no tour or explanation available on how to use the website, so this made it a bit confusing at first. I liked the way this website offers the user the ability to place books on several shelves including a wish list and favorites. I believe this can serve as a great way to organize the various books a user might be interested in.  One thing I disliked is the homepage contains a lot of information and I believe this can be a bit overwhelming for a child to navigate through. One disadvantage I found at first was figuring out where to add books to the different shelves because there is so much information on the webpage. Another disadvantage I observed is the user having to click on an icon to see a review. I enjoy programs that offer various reviews automatically once the book title is searched for by the user.

Shelfari

One thing I really liked about Shelfari is it offers the user a tour of the website allowing the user to become familiar with the different things the program has available. I enjoyed how easy it was to navigate around the program. Another thing I really enjoyed about Shelfari is the ability to organize books by read, I’m reading, and plan to read. This allows the user to place their books in the appropriate category. I really enjoy how the program provides an image of all the book covers that the user has added to their shelves.  An added benefit to this program is the simple set up and layout of the homepage. I believe a child would be able to navigate through this program without being overwhelmed by so much information on the homepage and throughout the program. Finally another advantage I found is the detailed description and review available for each book. I believe this information can be helpful to students in allowing them to choose what books they will be interested in. I feel this would be a great website to use with both children and adults.



Booklikes

 

The sign up process for Booklikes was very easy. One thing I liked about this program is how the user can organize their books by read, currently reading, and plan to read. This makes the process of placing books on the correct shelf very easy for the user. Another thing I enjoyed was the simple design and layout of the program. The one disadvantage I observed is the books do not stay on the shelf the user originally placed them on. I feel this can cause some confusion for younger users as to whether or not they have or have not read a particular book.

Biblionasium

The sign-up process for Biblionasium requires the user to verify the account before being able to actually use the program. I prefer being able to have immediate access to something I just signed up for instead of having to go to my email account to then be allowed access to the program. The one thing I noticed was different from the other programs is this program provides the option to sign up as an educator. I disliked this program because I was not able to place my books on separate shelves rather than all together on one shelf. Another thing I disliked was the confusion I felt by not knowing how to create shelves or whether or not they had already been made. I prefer a program that will have shelves that are already labeled to make it easier for younger users.

From the various programs I explored, I personally liked Shelfari and I will continue to use this program personally and with my students. I really enjoyed the tour offered to the user while signing up for the program. This prepares the user for how to use the program and exactly what to expect once the user begins using it. I really enjoy the shelves available to place all of the user’s books. This process is extremely simple for all users from children to adults. This program offers reviews for each book making it easy for the user to be informed about what critics are saying about the materials they are reading. Lastly, I really feel this is a great resource for children because it can teach them how to organize their reading materials. I truly enjoyed Shelfari and I am looking forward to sharing this information with my students.