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Librarything is a virtual bookshelf that allows the user 200 free book titles. It does allow users to import an existing list via a file or web page. Users can add their your own covers and customize your individual copy of the book. Users select the source they want to use when searching for titles.You don’t have to rate anything to get recommendations.The site shows you all the series in your library and if your series is complete. The homepage offers tons of info, but it can be overwhelming and cluttered. When searching, it gives you the most recent edition of the book and does not show an "error" message.
Shelfari is a free virtual bookshelf where you can post what books you've read lately and recommendations for books.You can list your books and display them on a virtual shelf as well as see who else has the book. It has book tagging. It is easy to add a book to a series. There is also book reviews and discussions so you can share your views and discover new reads within the community. It has Widgets. Users can build their own library shelf where they can add books that they are currently reading, books they plan to read, or books they have already read. Users can also rate the books they have read based on five stars. Shelfari is very visually appealing. A downfall is that is is very slow to load.
Booklikes is a free virtual book shelf with no limits on the amount of books, reviews, or new book friends you can have. It is mostly a blog format with a virtual bookshelf added in. BookLikes is available in three language versions: English, German and Polish.Users can log in with a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts. Reader profiles allow the user to display their reading history and interests. Users can browse a database of books from every major genre. Recommendations are generated based on the user's reading preferences. Book discussions allow users to talk about their favorite titles.Users can create thematic shelf. There are three reading statuses: read, planning to read, currently reading, however you can also create your own reading status. Booklikes uses several book sources. You can also import books and reviews from Goodread. The user also has the ability to remove, rename and manage shelves including changing the shelf order or adding a book manually. Booklikes helps users find books that they will actually want to read. Although each title is displayed neatly, with a thumbnail cover image, it's design is not very user friendly.
Biblionasium is a free, protected social network for children ages 6-13. Biblionasium allows teachers to build reports on what each student is reading and at what level and progression. The user can create shelves for individual students, groups, classes or grades as a whole. BiblioNasium’s virtual bookshelves help kids keep track of what they’ve read, what they like, and what they plan to read. The user can monitor student reading logs, create reading challenges, help students expand genre choices and tailor individual reading lists.
I think that as an educator, I would prefer the ease of Goodreads. It was simple to work with and did not have too many bells and whistles that challenged my techie abilities. I found that there was a lot more conversations about YA books which was an added plus for me. I will definitely recommend Biblionasium to my students in the library. I loved the colors and design of the site. Kids would find it more appealing since it is geared toward catching their eye. It has a "fun" feel and is not very polished and adult like as the other communities. I thought that it was a great virtual bookshelf that focused on helping teachers and students have a successful reading experience.
English, German, and _Polish_? I wonder why those languages were chosen. I am really surprised that Spanish isn't one of them... Or even French (our North-of-the-border neighbors). Biblionasium seems like a great addition to any classroom.
ReplyDeleteI came to the same conclusion, that I would use on of these communities for professional/personal use and another for use with students. One of the many things I liked about Biblionasium was that it protects student privacy. I think this is important for all students, but especially those in elementary and middle school. Parents will know that their children are safe when using this resource, and this might go a long way to encourage buy in among parents.
ReplyDeleteOne of the features that I am excited about biblionasium is the fact that teachers will be able to have another means of assessment on file for students, as it provides tracking of progress via the challenges that are created for them. More data=a better idea of what students strengths and weaknesses are.
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