Book reviews now available for Softlink’s Oliver and Liberty

Softlink announces the integration of LibraryThing for Libraries into the Oliver and Liberty Library Management Systems. This is one of five new optional add-ons for Softlink’s systems which also include: ChiliFresh, Meet the Author, Accelerated Reader, and Serials Solutions 360 Federated Search.

Owned and managed by Thorpe-Bowker, LibraryThing for Libraries (LTFL) allows users to view rate and review information and add content tags from within the Oliver or Liberty, eliminating the need to visit an external book review site such as Amazon.

“LibraryThing for Libraries is a Web 2.0 product that allows people from all over the world share information, thereby giving everyone ‘a voice’ in the form of peer reviews,” says Mr Matthew Hunter, Thorpe-Bowker’s Library Sales Manager.

“Its strength is in showcasing and promoting titles within library collections, so that users can easily locate the items they are interested in.”

According to Thorpe-Bowker, LTFL links libraries to a large, existing information source - LibraryThing - which houses 57 million books, 69 million tags, 500,000 vetted reviews, and over 1.2 million users.

“The parent website, LibraryThing, allows people to go online and catalogue their book collections at home to a library standard. What developed over time was a huge repository of information which led to the development of LTFL,” says Mr Hunter.

“LTFL is a product built from the sharing of information from everyday people, using everyday language from around the world.”

Mr Dion Dias, Softlink’s Product Manager anticipates that LTFL will be a valuable addition to the existing range of optional enhancements for Oliver and Liberty.

“This enhancement revolutionises the way that patrons will use the library. Instead of having certain titles in mind when they visit the library, patrons can now browse the catalogue to find titles they are interested in,” he says.

“LTFL not only drives library traffic and encourages browsing of the catalogue, but it empowers the users to participate in reviews and have a say about books they have read. In today’s information era, there is nothing more important than finding the most relevant information quickly and efficiently and now Oliver or Liberty will be able to fulfil this need for libraries.”

LibraryThing for Libraries is a subscription-based service that is only available for Oliver and Liberty v5.

Softlink’s newest v5 system has been developed in consultation with libraries worldwide, with the focus on creating a streamlined and intuitive library experience for staff and students. For more information on v5, visit http://www.softlinkint.com