Evaluating Websites

Thanks for the interesting article on Evaluating Websites in the module 6. I have also referred students to the Research Tools guide on our NSL database Student Resource Centre. It covers areas like Encyclopedias, Books, Magazines Newspapers and sites on the World Wide Web. I can remembering studying about this in one of my papers as we were evaluating a variety of different resources.

Library thing- Provides assistance with a help key. Has a pleasant page layout, with visual attraction and factual information. It also has links to book sellers like Amazon and Google books. Provides links to others who may read similar titles and provides the facility to customise your search to your individual needs.

Shelfari- Shelfari introduces readers to our global community of book lovers. It is a gathering place for authors, aspiring authors, publishers, and readers. Covers a wide range of genre.It is user friendly, has a 'help' icon to provide assistance. Shelfari is connected to Amazon, therefore is current and accurant with titles providing some factual information and some subjective notes contributed by members and discussion groups on Shelfari.

Good reads - Has a facility similar to Library Thing where members can create their own bookshelf, view books of their chosen genre and submit their thoughts on a book via a book review. Members can access author information, interviews, actually pretty much anything to do with a books, writing and their authors. It's purpose is to connect book lovers with books via discusion and referrals by others who have contributed their book reviews. Some content is subjective, some factual data.

Anobii - Is 'committed to building great tools that let like-minded people connect with each other and strike meaningful conversations'. It is a private company. It allows members to build bookshelves to keep track of read items, search for books, blog about books in a book related environment. All good book related stuff. Information is factual and subjective accessable when the member logs in.

Bookarmy - Bookarmy is a social networking website for every sort of reader. Whether you’re a bookaholic or someone who picks up a book only once a year while relaxing on holiday, bookarmy is the place to discuss and review books, build reading lists, get the best book recommendations, and where you and your friends, family or classmates can read books together.
Book lovers can access titles, read books online, view videos, read about authors,Chat with other members about a book. This site is managed by five professionals who have a passion for books and a desire to provide an easy and reliable way for people to talk to other readers and decide what to read next.

These all seem to have the social networking facility that help connect readers with books. I refer libary users seeking the 'next read' to these sites

An Author's Perspective

Have a look at this link to Morris Gleitzman's website:

http://www.morrisgleitzman.com/This site has great information is all different sorts of formats, video and podcasts. Looks pretty up to date with how authors are use technology to promote their books.

I had my first look for podcasts in the Authors on Tour site. I think the alphabetical author archive is great as the first couple of searches came up with no results. As I looked down the list I came across Neil Gaiman, with the book Anansi Boy-which we have on our NSL shelves in the adult section.
The link gave a brief summary of the book and provides a link to the podcast. It also tells you of further authors on tour that will be likely to have podcasts. I think this is great. It provides those who have reading problems with a chance to hear about the story, before they read the book.
I enjoyed browsing around the Authors @Google site looking at the selection of videos on authors. Viewed a couple of Michael Morpugo's interviews.
While hunting for 2 podcasts I went into the site Open books. I was disappointed that the site did not have an alphabetical listing of the authors, as the list provided was just a random list. But they were interesting podcasts to listen to. I didn't know any of the names so guess they might be local fellas.

Using the Free library of Philadelphia had trouble finding podcasts. Maybe the authors I was searching for did not have a podcast made of them. I couldn't find any of children's authors that I knew. I did listen to one with Frank McCourt 'Tis. Interesting to listen too.

Reading Rockets was great as it provided a list of video interviews to choose from. So i didnt have the hit and miss effect, and actually got some good results. Looked at Avi about the book Crispin. Good having the transcript to view too. Just loved this one.

Sites for Readers and Booklovers

Here is a fantstic trailor of the book 'Alabama Moon' by Watt Key. It is worth well watching.

Trailors are a new way that authors are marketing their books on the internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNFBSwQ-e38

I started searching for adult books that I would be interested in and then moved onto children's reads.
I really liked the Library Thing and Good Reads site for connecting with books. I found these particularly friendly to use.
I also get regular email alerts from a group called "Lovereading4kids". They have great updates on titles for all reading levels / ages.Its a site worth looking at as it provides a summary of the book, ages level the book is most suitable for and places where this title can be purchased from.Also displayed are other relevant categories that the user of the website my be interested in.
Have a look at
http://www.blogger.com/www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/

I really like the site Shelfari. Its very easy to use, especially as it is flexible with the order that the authors name is entered. I subscribed to this site. I looked up two authors, Joyce Meyer and Max Lucado, and got results. I enjoyed reading the reviews of others about certain books I looked up. Its great to see the rating option here too. More information to guide the prospective reader.

This site also caters for authors of children's and teen books. Some of the other sites did not provide this option.

I couldnt make Goodreads work for me but enjoyed using Anobii for the same reasong as Shelfari. Anobii provided a list of similar links at the bottom of the page. Inspiring me to read more.

The discussion group option was good, providing an opportunity to share ideas about the book read with others. An online chat scenario, real social networking!!

Book army was pretty awesome. Similar to the others and displays 'most read', top books and top author options. Also has childrens and teen books as well as adult items.