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There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
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| I spent hours inputting book info when I could have been at the movies watching Christian Bale as The Dark Knight. |
I have spent the last couple of hours inputing all the books I received at RWA and I'm not close to being done.
Because of all the books we've blurbed about here at Beyond Her Book, I needed to find a place to keep this information so I'd know what books were done, when and by whom (please tell me I used this correctly). Since there are getting to be so many readers (and thank you all for that), sometimes more than one person reads and writes about the same book. I try to catch it before it posted again, but with so many blogs to look back on, it was taking too long. <Whining>
I tried Shelfari, but because I had someone else update it, I couldn't search on it (I know, I should have gotten the password, but I have too many passwords to remember already). Then I tried Goodreads, but once again it took too long and I didn't know what others in the group were reading. <even more whining>
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| Ok, not really my pile of books (because mine aren't so organized), but a reasonable facsimile. |
This got even more difficult when blurbers Joysann and Emily started receiving books directly from authors and publishers.
But Emily just came to the rescue and found a program called Zoho Creator which is an easy to use spreadsheet that we can all work on at the same time. Of course, this will work even better when we all get everything input since Emily and Joysann just got the boxes of books I shipped to them from RWA (this should keep them busy for a while).
Anyway, I'm taking a break so I can read one of the RWA books I brought home, but I hope to finish up by next week (I still have to catalog all the books I have previously received and those I have out to other WW Ladies to read). Wish me luck.
But in the meantime, do you keep track of what you read? How? Or do you start reading a book and think it sounds familiar and realize you already read it?
Bottom Line: I need one of those scanners to read the barcode...it is almost my birthday.
Really Bottom Line: After finishing this blog last night, I told Andrew about it. He immediately announced that he would give me the best program ever for keeping track of books called Delicious Library only for Mac users. Apparently you just hold the book's ISBN number in front of the computer's camera and it's put on your virtual bookshelf with all the book info. Andrew will install it this weekend and I'll report back later. We'll see. <Leery, but strangely optimistic>
Posted by Barbara Vey on August 19, 2008 | Comments (27)
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Gina Black commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Gina Black commented:
Delicious Library works great. Library Thing also works with a barcode scanner (the Cat) which you can purchase for a small amount. Both are excellent ways to keep track of books.
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
mary s commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
mary s commented:
I'm glad Andrew can help! Hope all is well! I still have some of your books, read & unread! I will help too!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Monica Burns commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Monica Burns commented:
oooohhhh! A scanner to read the barcode!! Now THAT sounds awesome. LOVE technology, yes sirree!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Shari Anton commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Shari Anton commented:
I heard about Delicious Library from a friend who has it and loves it. Now, someone needs to come out with one for PCs!! I'd buy it in a heartbeat!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
CHRISTINE commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
CHRISTINE commented:
I wish I had kept at least a journal of the titles I've read--if only because I read so many series titles (and pass them on) that I lose track of a lot of them. Then I think I could at least get one of those book programs and put in my 'keepers' so I know what I've got (and then I remember how lazy I am). But since I can always find something to read I've decided not to worry about it anymore.
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
MF Makichen commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
MF Makichen commented:
Hi Barbara, yikes that's a lot of books. I'm having fun following you on Twitter!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Cassie commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Cassie commented:
I've heard the Delicious media programs are great. Apparently you can use it to catalog your movie library too. I hate that it's only available on Macs though
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Leah Hultenschmidt commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Leah Hultenschmidt commented:
Hi Barbara, I just read about a site called en.barcodepedia.com, which can use a webcam to read barcodes. Maybe it will help. Good luck!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Mark commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Mark commented:
May I suggest that you buy the software, thus rewarding its authors, instead of having someone give you an illegal copy of it? We should all support the rights of legitimate copyright holders. Thanks!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Liza commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Liza commented:
I wish there was one for pc's. I have so many books, that it would be great to have them all listed on one site.
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Missy Taylor commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Missy Taylor commented:
I use BookBag by Wakefield Soft. I bought it and starting using it so that I could keep up with what books I loaned out since I would loan books and they would disappear. Now it helps me keep track of the books I bought and where they are since I too have too many books and not enough space. So now I just go pull up the title or author and see what box, shelf, etc I put it in or who borrowed it. But the problem is taking the time to put the books in the system... A scanner?! Wow... ::drool:: I'm going to check out the program with the scanner. Does this mean I'm a nerd that the idea of a program to keep my books straight with a scanner gets my heart pumping as if I'd won the lottery?
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Barbara Vey commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Barbara Vey commented:
Hi Mark,
I'm sorry if I gave you the idea that I was doing anything illegal.
My son, Andrew, is buying the program and then giving it to me. Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows that Andrew is not a reader. He's an artist and words just seem to get in his way. :) So, he doesn't have the program, but because of his art, he is a Mac guy and knows about all the programs and new products.
Lucky for me he likes to buy his mom stuff!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Mark commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Mark commented:
Hi Barbara, Got it. From the way it was worded it seemed like he was "giving you" a program he was already using - a common occurrence. Guess I'm a little touchy over copyright! cheers
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Edie Ramer commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Edie Ramer commented:
My next computer will be a Mac. They're the best. I don't catalog my books. I have bought duplicates in the past, and just last week I took out a book from the library I read before. It was okay, though. I liked it so much I read it again. :)
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Madalyn Purcell commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Madalyn Purcell commented:
Hi Barbara. We met at RWA. I was the astonished lady from Hawaii (with Shannon Donnelly ) who thought she knew you personally and then realized she had been reading your blog for months. I am running out to buy Delicious Library, because, yes, I forget what I have read and need to refresh authors and titles. Thanks
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Jody Wallace commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Jody Wallace commented:
I track books I've read in a simple Excel spreadsheet but I don't have the gumption to put all the books I own into a database. Now, if I had a scanner, I might just do it. Hubby made me a program that would pull some of the book info off Amazon if I input the ISBN but I'd rather scan!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Sheila commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Sheila commented:
Barbara, you know I love technology. I had no idea Library Thing had a scanner option!!! I love reading the comments here as much as I love your wonderful blog!
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Keena Kincaid commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Keena Kincaid commented:
As if I needed another reason to love my Mac. :-) I'm off to find Delicious Library.
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Cait London commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Cait London commented:
I've signed books where the readers bring in huge notebooks, all tabbed and neat about their books. They like the portability, I guess.
August 19, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Marilyn AKA The Playground Monitor commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Marilyn AKA The Playground Monitor commented:
Gee, I just have a table in a Word document to keep track of what I read. I was at a thrift store recently and saw a woman looking through the used books. She had a three-ring binder with alphabetic index tabs in it. She had authors listed alphabetically with a page for each, and she'd written in every book she'd read. So if she found XYZ by Jane Doe, she could turn to the "D" section, look for Jane Doe's page and see if XYZ was listed. It's not as high tech as Delicious Library, but it worked for her.
August 20, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Gwendolyn McIntyre commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Gwendolyn McIntyre commented:
We use Books 3.1, which can be found at books.aetherial.net This is a shareware/donation-ware application that runs only on Apple Mac's. With a library in excess of 2,500 books and growing weekly, we needed a way to catalogue and search our collection. In the process of trying various applications we ran into this one and quite frankly we think its the best we've ever found. It does work with a scanner although we've been using a USB connected WEBCAM as a scanner with equally good results.
August 20, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Andrea Pickens commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Andrea Pickens commented:
Delicious Library sounds, well, delicious. As others have said, yet another reason to love my mac. (I have many.)
August 21, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Jennifer LaBrecque commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Jennifer LaBrecque commented:
Of course I wind up buying books and realizing I've read them before because otherwise it's WAYYYY too organized for me. Hey, I think I'd like to adopt your son. I don't have one and he's so techno savvy. You could be his real mother, I could be his mother in the south. Just a thought....
August 22, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Linda McMaken commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
Linda McMaken commented:
Barbara, there is a great site for organizing ALL those books - www.librarything.com. Easy, organized and free.
August 24, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
violet s commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
violet s commented:
Scary Barbara, that my computer/library room looks pretty similar to the photo on this blog! Books are piled precariously--I need more shelves! Always enjoy your blogs!
August 24, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
writeroffthelake commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
writeroffthelake commented:
I'm salavating just looking at that wonderful pile of books. But if you need an easy to impute, easy to search way of organzing the books that have been reviewed, just try setting it up as a database in Works. I did that for all the novels I read, so now I know what I've read, when it was published, who wrote it, age range, genre, and a blurb of the plot. I have another file that had at one time listed all the non-fiction books in my library, and a third that listed all the novels. They are, unfortunately, way out of date and since my 3 years ago, my books are in too much disorder to even consider updating those files.
August 24, 2008
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
writeroffthelake commented:
In response to: There's Gotta Be an Easier Way
writeroffthelake commented:
Barcode scanners won't help for all those aged, used books bought in decades ago when barcodes and ISBN's didn't exist. Still, sounds like a great way of organizing newer books for those of you with Macs who can afford more than just freeware.
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