ArmfulBooksLast week I went of one of the great Technology Tasters that we are running at Christchurch City Libraries.  The Taster that I chose was about Online Bookclubs, which I knew a little bit about but had never actually joined up with one of them so I thought I’d give it a try.  We were introduced to the range of book and reading related websites that are available through the Christchurch City Libraries Internet Gateway.  There are some fabulous resources available here and if you’re ever stuck with what to read next, you should definitely have a look at some of these websites.

The main focus of this Taster was to introduce us to an amazing website called Shelfari.   Shelfari is a social networking site, very similar to Facebook but focused on books and reading.  You have a virtual bookshelf that holds your virtual library, you catalogue your books with whatever information you like, and can join user groups to discuss books with like-minded people and recommend books for others to read.  It takes only a few minutes to sign up and modify the settings to suit your needs and then you can start adding your books and joining groups.  Like Facebook you can also invite people to be your friends and others can invite you to be their friends.

The only downside to joining Shelfari is that I’ve spent more time adding books and joining groups in the last few days than I have reading actual books.