WPL Regional Reference Blog

Shelfari
www.shelfari.com


I first started using Shelfari while doing research for the Worcester Public Library MySpace page. When I pinched the idea from another library's teen MySpace page, I had no idea how robust the software is. According to the "Welcome to Shelfari" email, you can:

• Add your favorite books from the Build my Bookshelf page


• Review and rate your books on your Shelf


• Add your friends from the My Friends page, and


• Join or start a group from the My Groups page

Shelfari is easy to use. When you access your "shelf," you simply search for a book by title, author, or both. You can then add the book and choose the book cover. Eventually, the bookshelf visible by the public and your friends will look like this:

Also available, when you click on a book, are P2P (peer-to-peer) reviews and a discussion list. This format is an easy way to share books among friends or market your library's collection on your website. In MySpace you can use the search function of the Apps Gallery to add the Shelfari app. Right now, our teen librarian, Rezarta, is using our Shelfari app to promote new books in our Young Adult collection. Shelfari is a flexible and usable tool. One any librarian can add to her toolbox.