What is Goodreads?

Goodreads is a social network site for avid and casual readers. Anyone can join by creating a user name and profile. It provides a forum for book discussion and also provides a user-created book database. A user can read and write review, join or create groups, post writing and answer trivia questions. Goodreads also provides instant access to bibliographic information.

How Do Libraries Use It?

A group can be created by any Goodreads member. Creating a group is quick and easy. Groups can be public, restricted, private or secret. The privacy settings of the group can be changed at any time.

• Public - anyone can join the group, view the group information and discussion board
• Restricted - new members must have an email in one of the listed domains provided by the moderator. The group information is available to everyone but only members can view the discussion board. 
• Private - Only moderators can invite new members. The polls and discussion boards can only be viewed by members.
• Secret - Only moderators can invite new members. The group will not appear in search results and only members can see group information, polls and discussion boards.

The group are moderated and moderators can be added or removed at any time. The moderator can also block any troublesome users. Goodreads groups are designed to facilitate virtual books clubs but there are other features libraries can use if the virtual book club is not the goal. For example, the library can promote its collections through the bookshelf feature.

Here are questions to consider before creating a Goodreads group:

• Who will maintain the group?
• How much time will staff devote to the group?
• How will the group be promoted?
• What is the targeted audience? (i.e. public library - adults or teenagers)
• Are there any privacy issues?
• What is the purpose of the group? (i.e. virtual book club or collection promotion)

Sage College Libraries: A Case Study

Creation:

The Sage College Libraries Goodreads Group was created in December 2009 as a forum for members of the Sage Community to discuss and recommend books. It is also used by the libraries to promote its collections. 

Purpose:  

• Library Outreach

• Promote Library Events
• Provide a place for patrons to give recommendations
• Build community
• Highlight library collections
• New Books
• Lobby Books
• Main Collections  

 

Promotion:

• Library Blog, Facebook, Twitter
• Bookmarks
• Signs in the Library
• Wallpaper on Library Computers

Response:

• Growing membership
• Two Popular Fiction collections built from donations
• New collection of Graphic novels due to suggestions
• Summer 2010-Faculty/Staff Book Club established
• Group facilitated lively discussions
• Patrons have been borrowing Lobby books

Make sure to check out the Sage Colleges Libraries' Group on Goodreads!

What is in a Goodreads Group?

Goodreads Groups have many features you can take advantage of and we have recapped some of them for you here!

1. bookshelf:

The bookshelf is a great feature because you can add titles that your library holds making it easy for patrons to browse.  There is often so much detail the Goodreads community has added to books that your patrons will learn more about the book that just from your OPAC.   The bookshelf includes a snapshot on your group homepage so patrons can see the latest items added to your catalog.  Adding a book to the shelf is a simple process, and you can create different shelves such as "Popular Fiction" or "Literature."

2. currently reading

The currently reading option is great when your library wants to feature a book, for example, a new book could be featured here every month.  There is a discussion board attached to each currently reading item posted, and members can have a discussion about the book, and use it as an 'online group read.'  Even if no one in the group actively participates in the 'group read' it is still a great way to highlight your new acquisitions.

3. discussion board

The discussion board is made of topic folders.  We have created a Books! folder and all the discussion posts in this folder are about...books!  The Recommendations/Suggestion folder contains discussion posts about books patrons would like to see the library acquire or books they recommend to other patrons.  The discussion boards are always an active area of the group, and many new members comment here. 

4. events

The events board is a great promotional tool for any library related events that are happening.  When guest lecturers come to speak at the college or you have an author signing, you will want to promote the event to your patrons here! There is even a feature that links to Google Maps, so when you put the address of the event patrons can see exactly where to go.  If you email the event to members of your group they can respond saying Yes, No or Maybe if they plan to attend.

5. photos:

Use the photo page to promote the library.  We used it to promote our newly renovated lobby and reading room.  Upload images of your collection, photos taken from events at the library. Just be sure to have permission from those in the images.  

6. polls

Polls not only provide insight about what your members are looking for or like, but they really get people involved! Once you create a poll, send out an invitation to members to answer it.  You will be surprised at the response. Everyone likes to share their opinion!

Benefits of a Goodreads Library Group

• Patrons can take advantage of the discussion board to leave suggested books for acquisitions

• They can also recommend books to the group, which your library can feature in displays
• Staff and patrons can write reviews of books for other users
• Libraries can promote events
• Libraries can market their collection
• Staff can update the bookshelf when new titles arrive
• This updates a feed which users may be subscribed to.

Albany and Troy Libraries Lobby Books

In the Spring of 2010, a collection of popular fiction titles called Lobby Books was established at the Albany Library and it was created in order to support the libraries' Goodreads groups. As the name suggests, the collection can be found in a prominent location on the first floor of the Albany Library. Most of the titles were donated by staff members but some were bought by the Libraries after receiving suggestions from Goodreads members. The collection started with a handful of book, but now has grown to about 100 titles.Lobby Books mostly features novels but there is a growing collection of graphic novels.

The Libraries have received positive feedback from the Sage community and students love the graphic novels. Many have commented that it is great to be able to check out a book in order to escape the rigors of college life.  In the Fall of 2010, a Lobby Book collection was created for the Troy Library. Both collections are still growing mostly through donations.

Albany Library Lobby Books

Here is an example of a post featured on the Sage Libraries Blog promoting the libraries' Goodreads group. 

The Albany Library has a collection of popular fiction books called Lobby Books. As the name suggest, these books are located on the first floor of the library just to the right of the circulation desk when you walk in. The collection was established in the Spring 2010 semester and is still growing. Here's some of the books in the collection:

Pride and Prejudice (Graphic Novel) by Nancy Butler

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Moo by Jane Smiley

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

The Blind side: The Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Check out the Sage Libraries Goodreads page for the complete listing of the books in the Lobby Collection. Join the group and give us your book suggestions or leave us your suggestions here. On the Troy Campus? You can request to have a Lobby Book shipped to the Troy Campus Library by filling out an ILL request.

Marketing Strategies

Here are some ideas for marketing your Goodreads Group

• Cross linking to the group website makes it more visible. Place a link to the Goodreads group on your library homepage and on your library blog. 

• Change the background image of library computers or the screen-saver to something related to the group. (maybe an image of the group page or a written link to the group.

• Add an icon to the desktop (such as the one on the left) that acts as a hyperlink directly to the group homepage.

• Bookmarks are an easy way to create awareness of the group, however it is not convient for users to type in long links that they read on the bookmark. So instead of providing the link on the bookmark the library could say 'Check out our group on Goodreads! Find us on the library homepage' As long as the library has a Goodreads icon that is clear and links to the group on their website users will be able to find it.  

•  Email/newsletters is another way to promote the group.

• If you are an academic library it is a good idea to send someone around to talk to various departments on campus. For instance, the English department may be very interested that the group exists, and the library can ask professors to mention the group to students. Collaboration is key!

Connecting Networks is easy!

If you use a couple of social networks, you can easily connect them leaving less work for library staff!

First of all you will want to add links to your Goodreads group to your website and other social networks you may use

• Have Goodreads update your library’s Twitter feed when you add books to bookshelves, reply to discussions or create new events.

• Your Twitter account can automatically update your Facebook page when the Goodreads tweets occur

• Instantly you have updated three networks reaching many different audiences!

Remember to invite members from your Facebook group, Myspace or Twitter to join your Goodreads group!

Promotional Needs

If you want to create a temporary home for titles featured on your Goodreads group (as the Sage Libraries did with popular fiction) it is important the library have a good space in house to display their Good Reads Bookshelf.

Facing the front door is best to grab the patron's attention. The books can have a special sticker on them to designate them as part of the "Good" Reads collection. (Maybe the sticker can say Good or Good Read). You will also need paper and a printer for bookmarks.

It would be worth contacting Goodreads to see what types of promotional materials they could offer. They currently have bags, stickers and t shirts, and I think if they know your library is promoting them to users, they would share some of these items!

Are there any perks for patrons?

Yes, there are many perks for patrons. Patrons can take advantage of the discussion board to leave suggested books for acquisitions. They can also see what books fellow group members are currently enjoying and suggest titles to each other. Users can rate books and post reviews and other members can read these reviews. Reviews can guide users to pick the next book to read.

 The site also has an extensive database of books. You can search by title or author and every item record page includes bibliographic information, cover images, summaries and user reviews. The database is constantly updated and built by users. For the avid reader, Goodreads is a great social network.

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