LibraryThing

I've been absent for a bit focusing on writing both my dissertation and finishing a short piece for a Finnish publication. But I wanted to put a shout out for an amazing site LibraryThing. This is a mostly free online service allowing bibliophiles to catalog their libraries online. I say mostly free, but if you have or catalog less than 200 books, it is free of charge. After that, it is $10.00 for a lifetime membership and free reign to catalog as many books as you like. The cool thing is that you only need to enter part of the title, author, ISBN and their search engine will check both the Library of Congress and Amazon holdings and input the rest of the information automatically.

If you have a large, specialized collection, it is particularly useful as you can access the information from any internet accessible computer to see if you already have the volume for which you're considering plunking down serious semollians. Potentially, it's also useful for anyone looking to add to your collection (spouse, friends, etc.) and wants to know if you have book X. Another thought in these disaster-ridden times is for insurance - it's always good to have a comprehensive, off-site list, especially if you have a serious investment in your books.