We’ve all been in the situation where we can’t remember the title of a novel or short story or poem and the name of the author escapes us too. The Library of Congress is out to help us readers with this problem. They have created a guide called Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes to assist in the locating of that book/story/poem that you are so close to recalling, it’s on the tip of your tongue, but just won’t cooperate.
Since I don’t have an iPhone or an Android phone I have no idea how useful or prevalent book apps are, but WorldCat has an app for Android devices called BookMinder that will search for books in WorldCat and tell you if a nearby library has them. It also lets you add books to your WorldCat TBR list. I think the idea of it is cool. Someone will have to let me know if the reality of it is cool too.
Speaking of finding books, Bookman and I are off to a date night at Barnes and Noble. We have coupons! It is also my last school-free weekend until the end of December and I mean to make the most of it. Have a great weekend everyone!
I am sure if I had an Android phone I’d be all over the BookMinder app. I don’t – but I do love the BookBurro extension for Firefox (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1546/): it autodetects ISBNs on Amazon and elsewhere, and if it doesn’t autodetect an ISBN, you can highlight an ISBN on any page and right-click it to search. It then opens a pop up/searches a range of sites you’ve chosen – it can search Amazon, Book Mooch, Powells, etc., and also some local library sites + WorldCat. I just have it set up to search WorldCat and I use it lots.
Coupons! And a book store trip! Ahh what bliss. And I love the idea of a search engine that helps you find the book whose name you can’t recall. I wonder how it works? It used to happen a lot in the bookstore where I worked: a customer would come in and say ‘There’s this book I want and I can’t remember who wrote it or what it’s called, but it’s blue.’ And we would have to bite our tongues and NOT say, ‘Oh that’ll be in the blue book section, sir, top of the stairs and turn right.’ Actually no of course we wouldn’t say that – guessing was part of the fun. I’ll be your bookman has a few stories to tell in similar vein!
Diggin’ that link, Stefanie!
Thank you so much for bringing the Worldcat app. to my attention. I will definitely be adding it to my phone.
This sounds great … I am away on a coast holiday at present so haven’t time to properly check it out but I sure will when I get back home!
I love hearing about the Book-dates with you and the Bookman. I think it is horridly romantic! Please let us know what you retrieve with your coupons!
I myself was at a Mall Used-Booksale this weekend and snagged ten terrific books for about $14 in total. A STEAL!
Heather, I didn’t know about BookBurro for Firefox, I’ll definitely be checking that one out!
Litlove, LOL, oh yes, my Bookman has lots of stories like that. He was very good at figuring it out and loved the surprised look on the customer’s faces when he’d hand them the book.
Cameron, glad you like it!
Emily, I hope the WorldCat app works well. They have been doing lots of stuff with mobile lately.
whisperinggums, what are you doing reading blogs while on holiday? I hope you are having a great time!
Cipriano, we loves us the book dates. Many years ago when we lived close to a huge public library and not much of anything else, dates always happened at the library
It sounds like you found some great bargains at the book sale!
I wonder if there is a similar app for the iPhone? That would be cool. I have a couple book apps on my iPhone, but I don’t use them, pretty much ever. It’s good to know they are there, though!
It is nice having Google or Bing or the like. I have more than once gone hunting for books based on character names, actions, building names, etc. Sometimes the erroneous results are as fun as the correct answer is satisfying. Yesterday I was trying to resolve a ‘Room 101′ reference. I don’t think I have read 1984 since before… dare I say it… 1984.