Archive for June, 2022

Friday, June 24th, 2022

TinyCat’s June Library of the Month: Out On The Shelves Library

It’s Pride Month, which means we’re super proud to feature an independent LGBT2QIA+ library that’s been supporting their Vancouver community since the 1980s! It was my pleasure to interview Out On The Shelves (OOTS) Library Co-Coordinator Rio Picollo, MLIS (they/them) this month:

Who are you, and what is your mission—your “raison d’être”?

Out On The Shelves Library (OOTS) is an independent community library serving the

LGBT2QIA+ community of Vancouver, British Columbia since the early 1980s. We foster a free, accessible, and safe space for LGBT2QIA+ people to discover and share stories and resources centering on LGBT2QIA+ experiences.

Tell us some interesting things about how your library supports the community.

We’re in the midst of a project in collaboration with the University of British Columbia School of Information to improve our subject tags to help patrons discover works featuring identities that aren’t well represented in mainstream library cataloguing. We routinely get requests for things like books by trans women of colour or YA fiction with non-binary characters, and until now we’ve relied heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations between library volunteers or searching through curated book lists for that information. We’re excited to create a more organized, accessible way for our patrons to find the types of materials they’re looking for from within our catalogue.

What a wonderful way to increase visibility for underrepresented identities. Speaking of your collections, what are some of your favorite items?

Our new seed library, Out in the Dirt, which offers free seeds and starters, as well as programming on sustainable urban farming and food sharing within the Vancouver queer community.

What’s a particular challenge your library experiences?

Being located on the far west side of Vancouver, it can be difficult for folks from elsewhere across the Lower Mainland to make the trip to our location. We have plans in the works for a sort of interlibrary loan system partnered with the newly developed Vancouver Black Library located in Chinatown to help increase the reach of both our organizations.

What is your favorite thing about TinyCat, and what’s something you’d love to see implemented/developed?

We love how quick and easy it is to catalogue materials with LibraryThing. It offers such a low barrier to entry for folks new to library cataloguing. In the future, we’d love to be able to store info for duplicate copies under the same bib record.

We hope to add copy management in the future as well! We’ll be sure to announce any changes on that front. Thanks for your feedback.

Want to learn more about OOTS? Visit their website at https://outontheshelveslibrary.com/, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and explore their full TinyCat collection here.


To read up on TinyCat’s previous Libraries of the Month, visit the TinyCat Post archive here.

Want to be considered for TinyCat’s Library of the Month? Send us a Tweet @TinyCat_lib or email Kristi at kristi@librarything.com.

Labels: libraries, Library of the Month, TinyCat

Thursday, June 23rd, 2022

Join us at ALA Annual / Sneak Peek at Syndetics Unbound Lists

The American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Conference & Exhibition is returning to an in-person event this year for the first time since the pandemic began, and LibraryThing’s founder Tim Spalding (timspalding) will be there!

Tim will be showing off an exciting new “Lists” feature for Syndetics Unbound, LibraryThing and ProQuest’s (awesome) catalog enrichment product for public and academic libraries. Lists allow libraries to make attractive, custom lists in their catalog, and to share them with other libraries. Stop by the ProQuest/Clarivate booth (#2507) to catch up with the Syndetics Unbound product team and learn more.

Stay tuned for the official release of Lists to all Syndetics Unbound libraries!

Labels: ALA, Syndetics Unbound

Monday, June 20th, 2022

An Interview with Delia Owens

LibraryThing is very pleased to sit down this month with wildlife scientist and bestselling author Delia Owens, whose novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, has recently been made into a film that will be released this coming July 15th by SONY Pictures. Although Ms. Owens has previously co-authored a number of memoirs about her years working with wildlife in Africa, Where the Crawdads Sing is her fictional debut. Set in the coastal marsh of North Carolina, the book, which spent 32 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, is an exploration of poverty and familial abandonment, a tribute to the beauty and power of the natural world, and a murder mystery complete with courtroom drama. Now, with the movie due out next month, we asked her a few questions about her book, the movie, and her own reading.

Where the Crawdads Sing evokes a powerful sense of place, and contains many vivid depictions of the natural world. Do you feel that visual imagery is an important part of your storytelling process, and did you have any specific images in mind, before starting to set it down?

I did visualize this story set in this particular environment in the marsh. I did play it out in my mind how it would unfold, and I think it was a good environment. It was lush and yet it was a challenge to survive there, but it was possible. It was very real that you could survive there and so it was the perfect environment for that. I just could see it vividly in my mind because I knew it and I wanted the reader to see it. I wanted the reader to be able to smell the sea, and to see the still waters versus the rough waters in the sea. And I wanted the reader to experience the marsh.

Your story is set in North Carolina marshland. How well do you feel the film captures the landscape of the tale?

In Where the Crawdads Sing the marsh, the environment in which it was shot and where I wrote it, is a character itself. The marsh is a character itself. A very important character in the book and the marsh represents mother nature. Mother nature is very nurturing but she’s also very tough. I was thrilled that when they produced the movie, the marsh feels like a character in the movie as well as in the book. It is always there, the marsh is there, the beautiful scenery is there. And what surprised me when I saw the movie was that all this beauty is there and yet the mystery and the drama is thundering through the background. I don’t know of a better word than pounding or thundering. The storyline is pounding behind this beauty.

This is the first of your books to be adapted as a movie. What has been your favorite part of the process?

First of all, it’s a dream come true for most authors. Not everyone wishes for this, but it is a great honor, and it has been so much fun. I was able to go to the movie set. First of all, they flew me to LA and we sat around talking about the book with these wonderful people and all these women, the director, Reese Witherspoon, the people from Sony. I mean it was just so much fun to do this and work with these women and these women work hard. It’s not the three-martini lunch sort of situation. We stayed for like eight hours around this big board table and worked on the script. They invited me to make comments on the script several times. They sent me drafts of the script and it has been the connection with all the players that has meant a lot to me. It really has. To see these people so dedicated to this project, to be so in love with the story and true to the story. The movie has stayed very true to the story, which means a lot to me.

Tell us about your library—bibliographic and filmographic. What books and movies are in your own personal collection?

All my college textbooks, which I’m sure everyone would find very boring, but I have all of them because they still mean a lot to me. I still refer to them. I love novels, like Toni Morrison’s Beloved, that build up a certain character. I love character driven stories. I love stories that play out in very memorable environments like A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher. As far as movies, I love Babette’s Feast, the story told by Karen Blixen. I don’t like action films; I like films that show characters and places and how they relate.

Labels: author interview, interview

Saturday, June 18th, 2022

Come Join the 2022 Pride Month Treasure Hunt!

It’s June, and that means that our annual Pride Month Treasure Hunt is back!

We’ve scattered a waddle of penguins around the site, and it’s up to you to try and find them all.

  • Decipher the clues and visit the corresponding LibraryThing pages to find a penguin. Each clue points to a specific page right here on LibraryThing. Remember, they are not necessarily work pages!
  • If there’s a penguin on a page, you’ll see a banner at the top of the page.
  • You have just under two weeks to find all the penguins (until 5pm EDT, Thursday June 30th).
  • Come brag about your waddle of penguins (and get hints) on Talk.

Win prizes:

  • Any member who finds at least two penguins will be
    awarded a penguin badge. Badge ().
  • Members who find all 12 penguins will be entered into a drawing for one of five LibraryThing (or TinyCat) coaster sets and stickers. We’ll announce winners at the end of the hunt.

P.S. Thanks to conceptDawg for the penguin illustration, which was inspired by the charming picture book And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who start a family of their own.

ConceptDawg has made all of our treasure hunt graphics in the last couple of years. We like them, and hope you do, too!

Labels: events

Monday, June 6th, 2022

June 2022 Early Reviewers Batch Is Live!

Win free books from the June 2022 batch of Early Reviewer titles! We’ve got 180 books this month, and a grand total of 3,538 copies to give out. Which books are you hoping to snag this month? Come tell us on Talk.

If you haven’t already, sign up for Early Reviewers. If you’ve already signed up, please check your mailing/email address and make sure they’re correct.

» Request books here!

The deadline to request a copy is Monday, June 27th at 6PM EDT.

Eligibility: Publishers do things country-by-country. This month we have publishers who can send books to the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, France and more. Make sure to check the message on each book to see if it can be sent to your country.

The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary AmericaDangerous BeautyI Can Be Your FriendA Quilt for Christmas: A Christmas NovellaThe ReservoirSmells Like Tween SpiritBeyond the Desert SandsBeneath the Bending SkiesPaths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out Against America's Misguided WarsInfinite Dimensions: StoriesInventions of the HeartCreatures of PassageI Have Two Mommies. I Have Two Daddies.Aquarian DawnVoices in the Dead HouseThe Deadly ShallowsThe Beauty of Black Mermaids Coloring BookMoon in Full: A Modern Day Coming-Of-Age StoryWhere You Linger & Other StoriesHonor BoundScarecrow Has a GunA Universe That Dreams: Waking To Universal RealityHe's No AngelRevelationRenewalThe City Beneath the Hidden StarsSins of the TribeDark DrinkSee You Next TuesdayThe Faithful DogA Winter of ChainsSimplify Your Health: A Doctor's Practical Guide to a Healthier LifeSherlock Mendelson and the Missing AfikomenAnd Then There’s MargaretLebanon RedJustice for LorettaThe Nectar of NightmaresNight RaceA Feeling of HomeDiscover How to Thrive Amid Grief: Understanding, Coping, Forgiving, Connecting, and Finding Support During Times of Profound LossHanna's DilemmaNow Lila KnowsNein, Nein, Nein!: One Man's Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the HolocaustThe Beginner’s Spanish Language Learning Workbook for Adults: A Level 1 Guide with Exercises to Learn Essential Words, Phrases, and Basic SentencesDream Pop Origami: A Permutational Memoir About Hapa IdentityUncertain Fruit: A Memoir of Infertility, Loss, and LoveHollowPool ManRedefining Miracles: How To See Divine Perfection in the Eye of a Storm and Transform Cancer Into BlessingsLife in the MaxSpears & ShadowsWicked CrownResist MeFlippingGilded ButterflyBitter EndThe Coming Golden Age of the 21st CenturyStandaloneThe Face of the WatersTime for a PartyMessiah!: The Bar Kokhba Revolt. 132ADThe Natural Laws of ViolenceThe Mindful Grandparent: The Art of Loving Our Children's ChildrenThe ResentmentMai Tais for the LostThe Legend of the VikingHe Spoke: A Memoir of GraceEternal GraffitiOur Mothers of Invention: 16 Women Inventors & Discoverers Who Made Our Modern Lives BetterKnow Your Man: Playful Relationship Advice for Understanding Your Man (Pig)The Aquarius NationHappy StateBronco Racing: Ford's Legendary 4x4 in off-Road CompetitionHow to Install Air Ride Suspension SystemsFit for a QueenTrue Crime Storytime Volume 4: 12 Disturbing True Crime Stories to Keep You Up All NightThe Way of the Wild Goose: Three Pilgrimages Following Geese, Stars, and Hunches on the Camino de SantiagoTravelersPura VidaThe Formulation of Zack SenderUncover Your Light: Empowering Stories of Hope and Resilience, Volume OneUncover Your Light: Empowering Stories of Hope and Resilience, Volume TwoGrowing Upward: A Guide to Discovering Your Greatness (and Owning Your Life)SAT Math Practice QuestionsThe Tender TempestThe Joy of MurderThe BoxHybrid: Misfits, Monsters and Other PhenomenaNight, Rain, and NeonLove in BudapestA Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask UsA New WorldThe Last Five Minutes of a StormThe Twilight VowThe Price of PeaceMaking Mental Might: How to Look Ten Times Smarter Than You AreTap Talk, Tidbits, and Tips for Dilettante Tappers: The World's Only Completely Nonessential Guide to Tap DancingDemon Hunter AcademyBlood and WonderThe Swords of Blood and GoldTil There Was YouHonor for the DeadMadeline's ParkStorm and Solace: A Beauty and the Beast RetellingThe Peculiar Case of the Missing MondrianWired for Success: Practical Philosophies to Master Entrepreneurship & Live Life on Your TermsThe Wolf, The Walnut and The WoodsmanTen Years A Bard: Poetry from the Current Middle AgesGugulu, The Little Bear DaresEverything you always wanted to know about the French* (*but were afraid to ask)The SurvivorsThe War for Reality: Books 1-3 of the BetterWorld Cyberpunk TrilogyRodeHeart of the RoseSnake FoodHenry Bingle's Transformation: A Fable for All AgesIs THAT a Hat?The Internet Moguls of the World: How the Planet's Best Found Their Passion and Never Looked BackAmethystConjure LakeTouchpointsWhat on Earth?: Considering the Social Implications of Jesus' Sermon on the MountBreakdownThreads of Awakening: An American Woman's Journey into Tibet's Sacred Textile ArtThe Man From AfghanistanMumbles of a Soul: Poems, Prose, and ThoughtsJaded HeartsLittle Does She KnowMicrobiology Coloring Book with Facts & MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)Sweet Home ChicagoEric Stanton: Bondage Enthusiasts Bound in Leather [*Expanded Edition*]Dead Wrong: An Ecological ThrillerA Contrite Heart(R)EvolutionA Spell of TroubleEscaping the Other Side of Midnight: The Race to Avert Irreversible Climate ChangeMensch und Kosmos : Die ,Theory of Everything' Vom Lebendigen UniversumTuko's CaveLove Letters to the Earth Vol 1: Welcoming One Home to Their NatureLittle Notes of Anguish and Other PoemsThe Richmond PapersThe Playful Mind: How to Restore the Happiness We Experienced as ChildrenCaptive of the StarsI Love You Just the Way You AreGoing to BeautifulWalking the HallsMidnight Calling: A Memoir of a Drug Smuggler's DaughterThe Villains Who Snapped My Spine: A MemoirBlood and WonderCold HungerSmart Woman's Guide The Money Belief Formula: Mindset + Behavior = Financial Success: Transform Your Habits and Win with WealthThirsty: Reflections on Thirst as a Means of GraceDad Is My Best FriendDeep Water: Murder, Scandal, and Intrigue in Small Town New EnglandThe Tombstone Express: Adventures in Police Motorcycle EscortsThe Tombstone Express: Adventures in Police Motorcycle EscortsTime Travelling to 1982: Reliving a Very Special YearDragonSinJurassic PartsBrandy, You're a Fine GirlThe Joy of MurderI Know What You Need to Succeed: How to Harness the 4 Seasons of Success to Upgrade Your Career and Your LifeThe Heretic's DaughterThe Stench of Fear: A WolfLady Paranormal Adventure NovellaThe Secrets of MarsUncle Jed's SecretGod's Labyrinth of Good and Evil: Encountering the SelfUntil The Cold Is GentleLaela and the MoonlineMidnight Calling: A Memoir of a Drug Smuggler's DaughterThe Entwining ProtocolsThe ValleyFreedom Doesn't GrieveAct Before You OverThink: Make Decisions Easier and Liberate Your MindThe Magical Land of HeartsSunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second TransitThe CouplingPerchance to DreamFire Is the Test of GoldSmart Woman's Guide. The Money Belief Formula: Mindset + Behavior = Financial Success. Transform Your Habits and Win With Wealth

Thanks to all the publishers participating this month!

Akashic Books Arabelle Publishing The Arisson Project
Bellevue Literary Press Bethany House BHC Press
Black Rose Writing BookViewCafe Brazos Press
Broadleaf Books CarTech Books Chosen Books
City Owl Press Consortium Book Sales and Distribution Cresting Wave Publishing
Crystal Peake Publisher Delphinium Books Golden Brick Road Publishing House
Greenleaf Book Group Ha’ikū Press Henry Holt and Company
Hot Tree Publishing Hybrid Sequence Media Identity Publications
Imbrifex Books Islandport Press Mike November Media LLC
NewCon Press Nice Matters Publishing NovelQuest Publications
PublishNation Revell Rootstock Publishing
Sans. PRESS SPANZ2A The Story Plant
Three Rooms Press TouchPoint Press True Crime Seven
Underland Press Unsolicited Press Useful Publishing
Vibrant Publishers WorthyKids

Labels: early reviewers, LTER