Something Interesting

[JamesSavik]

If you are a book person, and who here on a literary web site isn't, you've probably got stack or two of books lying around.

 

Not long after I moved the last time, I decided to create a database of my books for a number of reasons. One- to get a handle on what I have. My idea of a nice day out shopping is a visit to all of the book shops [and maybe a hardware store ]. The second reason I did the project was to physically locate everything after the move. Last- as I use my books constantly, I can now look at my database to see if I have anything that might address a particular problem or plan to add a new book(s) to meet a specific need.

 

This was a *Huge* undertaking. I designed and wrote the database from scratch. Tested it of course- made a cool linky thing so an ISBN# could look up stuff at the push of a button. Then I spent days entering the actual data. After writing code and doing data entry, it was a couple of weeks work [not all in a row].

 

So I have this database for about 4 months and what do I diiscover? Someone has the nerve to offer the same service for free.

 

The site can be found at LibraryThing.

 

You can log in, create an account and get to work. It's WAY easier than the application that I wrote. All you have to do is enter the books ISBN number (on modern books it on the barcode on the back and title page. The site then looks up all the relevent information about your book and then you can add it to your personal catalog. You can then rate and review books in your holdings and see the ratings and reviews that other users have posted. If you are going to sink a bunch of cash into a book these days, it really pays to make sure that its worth it.

 

If you want to take a look at my library, check out >> James Library (I don't have all of my books entered yet).

 

It's really worth creating your own catalog and this site's tools make it a lot easier than a DIY project.

[dkstories]

This would be a four-five week project based on our library at home. Cool though!

 

I wonder if I can hook up one of my bar code readers and use that to input the books into the dbase? We've got a few lying around the office (used for scanning in voter information)

[JamesSavik]

This would be a four-five week project based on our library at home. Cool though!

 

I wonder if I can hook up one of my bar code readers and use that to input the books into the dbase? We've got a few lying around the office (used for scanning in voter information)

 

If it can read the ISBN number off the barcode then I don't see why not.

 

I use my database and paste the ISBN number in the right place and LibraryThing finds the right book.

[shadows]

Yeah, most normal barcode scanners will work. They just input text like a keyboard after all. Even a modified cuecat (remember those?) will work.

 

For the Mac Lovers out there, check out delicious library. http://www.delicious-monster.com/ It's beautiful. Though I could never justify spending money on something like that...

 

//shadows

[glomph]

For the Mac Lovers out there, check out delicious library. http://www.delicious-monster.com/ It's beautiful. Though I could never justify spending money on something like that...

 

It would probably be worth $40 to me to be able to catalog my books that conveniently. These days, that's about the price of a lot of paperbacks, particularly computer books.

[glomph]

If you want to take a look at my library, check out >> James Library (I don't have all of my books entered yet).

 

A quick look at the list makes me wish I had about 6 months free and that you wouldn't mind a long-term houseguest who just sat around reading. Did you ever learn Ada?

 

How do you arrange your books physically? I've had a bunch of custom bookcases built and am in the process of developing a room as my library. I'm gradually getting books in there, but I really need to decide what goes where before I get enough books to create a kind of gridlock, where randomly shelved books get in the way of putting books in the right place, whatever I decide "right" to be.

 

Arrangement by subject matter seems to make sense, and I guess it's easy enough to get Dewey or LOC numbers from the ISBN. Then there's the idea of putting the art books on the bottom shelf and the little books that wouldn't hurt much if they fell on your head on the top shelf. Another idea would be to put the books you're most likely to look for on middle shelves and the ones you're trying to talk yourself into giving to the public library on inconvenient shelves. And then there is the method analogous to a computer hard drive, when you just put things where there is space and just have an index telling you where to find them. You probably would want to defragment multi-volume works from time to time.

 

All these methods have something to say for them, and have different trade-offs of convenience in setting up vs. convenience in use.

 

Thoughts or suggestions?

[C James]

If you are a book person, and who here on a literary web site isn't, you've probably got stack or two of books lying around.

 

If you want to take a look at my library, check out >> James Library (I don't have all of my books entered yet).

 

It's really worth creating your own catalog and this site's tools make it a lot easier than a DIY project.

 

James, what a fantastic collection! Your astrophysics collection alone makes me SOOOOO Jealous!! Some of those books aren't exactly easy to find!

 

I love your database idea. I made something similar in microsoft access the last time I moved, for inventorying the boxes. That way I knew which box contained what. I printed out data forms so I'd just write down everything by box number as I packed, then enter it later. Worked great, and I know which box something is in if I need it. (I moved seven years ago, and still haven't unpacked everything). I could very easily adapt my database template to be one for books, so I'll give that a try.

 

I have a half-dozen floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, completely organized (Miscilanous is organized, isn't it?)

2/3 of it is paperbacks, some so bad that I should have given them away years ago. My taste in books is rather weird: I have everything from General McAuthor's autobiography to travel guides to, well, you name it. I don't have a good collection in any one area, unfortunately. Several shelves are full of National Geographic, which was my favorite as a small child, and those suckers are heavy! I had to drill out my shelves and add steel bars to stop them from sagging.

 

Thanks for motivating me to go do something about my disorganized mess!

 

As for your book collection... Any chance you would like a house guest for a few months? I wouldn't be very good company though, I'd be too busy reading!

[JamesSavik]

Free space on LibraryThing.com is limited to 200 entries. I went back to cull some things out like certification test prep books. The whole database is a little short of 1,000 entries. Think I might spring for a paid account.

 

Let's see- about organization:

 

I organize my working library into hiearchies. The top level is: writing, technology, math, reference, science, etc. My recreational reading stuff is not organized. As I use the tech stuff professionally, it's useful to have a catalog for tax purposes.

 

Then under these broad catagories, more specialties:

 

Science: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Quantum Mechanics, Chemistry

 

Math: Handbooks, Basics, Calculus, Multivariable Cal, Advanced Cal, DE, Integrals

 

Technology: Programming, networks, Operating Systems, DBMS, applications

 

Physically I put these "clumps" together.

 

 

House Guests

 

I would love to have house guests! However at the moment I am the primary caregiver for my elderly parents. My Dad has Parkinstons and my Mom just had cataract surgery. Needless to say, its a handful. When she is better, it will free me up.

 

 

ADA

 

ADA is a pretty good language. It's a structured language similar to Pascal with some OO features. Unfortunately there just aren't that many compilers for it and it's not getting much use. It's a shame as ADA was designed to be embedded software and it does very well in that role. Most companies are using C for that.

[Lugh]

heh I've had one for a while... but I've not put but a few books into it...

 

Lugh's Library Thing

 

 

I didn't think anyone else would like ever use the thing!

[JamesSavik]

77 books is a few?

 

Like fantasy a bit do you?

 

There is a 200 book limit for free accounts. I ran into the wall and trimmed back. My entries are all from my professional library.

 

The best thing about the site is that it simplifies creating the data for you.

[Xandra Kitee]

There is a 200 book limit for free accounts.

Ooookay!

 

I was thinking about using it but on the last count I had more than ten time that (grandfather's inheritance included, I'm not THAT much of a book worm, hu. ).

 

It's summer and I have the time to do it so I guess I should buy something more appropriate to my needs. Any suggestion ?

[old bob]

I was thinking about using it but on the last count I had more than ten time that (grandfather's inheritance included, I'm not THAT much of a book worm, hu. ).

 

Hi Xantra

Just an indiscreet question about you : you write perfectly english and live in France. Which is your motherly tongue ?

Mine is french, but I have books in french, english, german and some translations of the same books. How do you organise the different languages in your book-case ?

Old bob

[Xandra Kitee]

Hi Xantra

Just an indiscreet question about you : you write perfectly english and live in France. Which is your motherly tongue ?

Mine is french, but I have books in french, english, german and some translations of the same books. How do you organise the different languages in your book-case ?

Old bob

It's not indiscreet. I've never speak anything else other than french until I was eleven (Cursing in Macedonian, Serbian, Arabic and Portuguese does not count I guess. ^^) and perfectly is a bit too flattering but thx. ^^

 

Mostly my books are organized by languages, then genres and then alphabetically. Even if I have several times the same book in different languages I don't put them together.

 

There's exceptions like the dictionaries, grammar books, a few phrase books and some reference books on different litteratures. They have a shelf of their own rather close to my studying area. I often have to compare things between slavic languages and I can't afford to travel through my 5 rooms flat all day. This shelf is designed to allow the books I use the most to be the easiest to reach so to other's eyes it's a mess. ^^

 

One other exception is the big Artbooks and the valuable ancient books. They're displayed mostly in order to look nice in the living room.

 

And the last concerns my favourites. Almost on each bookshelf, I'll put a dozen of the stuffs I prefer forward regardless of any logical order. It doesn't have any practical nor even aesthetic values. I just like it that way.

 

Now that I wrote it, I can see why people complain when I don't go get what they want myslef.

[old bob]

It's not indiscreet. I've never speak anything else other than french until I was eleven (Cursing in Macedonian, Serbian, Arabic and Portuguese does not count I guess. ^^) and perfectly is a bit too flattering but thx. ^^

You seems to have an huge amount of books and a lot of place. I'm living in a small flat and use to buy a lot of books each month, so I'm obliged to give away some of them I dont read any more. It makes a lot of people happy ! Do you keep your books for work or for pleasure ?

Old bob

[Xandra Kitee]

Both. I need a lot of material to work and I buy a lot for fun or personnal interests.

 

But most of my books comes from my maternal grand-parents (and my grand-mother's parents before them) collection.

 

My family doesn't have precious old furnitures, silverware, family jewelry, pieces of art or stuffs like that. We have books and the walls with the shelves to hold them. "My" flat comes from inheritance too and I'm actually my mom's freeloader. My bro and her doesn't live in this town so I kinda hold the fort. ^^

 

But the books are mine. My uncle doesn't have children and my bro doesn't share my interest in them and everybody agreed to let me have them when my grand-pa made his will. So most of them I would never give even if I had to sleep on them because of lack of space. They're mine but kind of not mine either. I'm just holding them and adding to them for the next generation and so on I hope.

[Trebs]

So - I started using Librarything and LOVE it. I tried out a barcode scanner and it does work. So now, I'm going to use the laptop in the home office and scan the barcodes into notepad, then upload. Haven't bought the lifetime membership yet but will. Being able to catalog all of these books again will be fantastic - I used to have a personal database on my Apple //e that I wrote in pascal but other than a print-out, that list is gone.

 

As to organization - most of our (DK and I consolidated our collections when we started living together) books are sci-fi/fantasy and sorted by author, within author by series, then in book order, or chronologically otherwise, though the hardbacks are on a separate bookcase than the paperbacks. There are of course other books, but they are so small in number in comparison.

 

Oh - and if anyone wants to look at my list (only 2 books online so far, will put more in after next week when houseguests are gone and I have full access to the office again). My username there is Hermit9 - which is a nick I've used since 1983...