Web 2.0 SRR

I have a confession to make. I am a British mystery junkie, always on the lookout for another author, the latest in a series, or even (sigh) a new series written by a favorite author. My method for finding authors and titles is hit and miss – and that is an understatement. I may get lucky by reading something in the Sunday newspaper book section. But the usual technique is to go up and down the aisles of the Fiction section in my local library either with my list of authors read (relaible if not limiting) or looking for British sounding names (no, I’m not kidding), or for titles that sound positively “murderous.” Since I am short and the shelves are very tall, I am scanning a fraction of the collection. Pathetic, I admit.
LibraryThing has freed me from that often frutiless trudge down the aisles. It is a fantastic tool for feeding my habit, height no obstacle. When I searched British Mystery, there appeared a treasure trove of titles, new authors, and lots of tags to expand my search. I found enough to be happily guessing who -done -it for months. Knowing that new books will be added to the site constantly will free me from shelf trolling, and ensure that I always come home with an armload of goodies.
One of my goals in my professional life as a librarian in a Jewish day school is to become familiar with the collection, and to become familiar with what else is out there in children’s literature. LibraryThing is a good resource for looking at a body of titles and authors. Definitely a find!