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How many hours a week do you spend managing books?


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Oh, I know. I had an avalanche of requests to make yesterday, I have a stack of library returns, my BookMooch needs post-holiday updating and so does my paperback swap, and I'm afraid to even look at what I need for Living Math. I've misplaced my SOTW activity book, so there's a whole 'nother stack of things I should be requesting. I did just do heavy-duty work on my own wish list for a change, though.

 

I bet I spend an hour a week, on average.

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Relatively few, considering how many books are read here on a weekly basis.

 

I don't keep lists on Amazon or with book clubs, but we take a bit of time each week to go over our library book lists online.

 

We have one book case in the family room that is dedicated to library books, so that helps us manage more easily.

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Oh man! I have amazon wishlist, library thing just started and that took a lot of time. Reading book blogs and reviewing books, putting books on wishlist. Really can't say how many hours a day. Some days more than others. Too many :)

 

But it's so much fun.

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Guest Alte Veste Academy

Why? What have you heard? Who have you been talking to? Is an intervention afoot? I don't need help! It's my hobby... My books are my toys...

 

I'm really not comfortable with this line of questioning...

 

:leaving:

 

Kristina

 

(To answer your question, a lot. But I enjoy it and I'm still keeping the kids healthy and educated so it's not really a problem, right?)

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Waaaayyy too much.

 

I love Library Thing though and upgraded to their lifetime account so I could pretty much keep up at one place. I love the Cue Cat too and just need to finish putting in the books from my dc's rooms. They each have bookcases and I need to scan them all in.

 

I also keep my library requests and I just set up a saved search in my library patron account that will be great. That way, I can keep that tab open as I read through everyone's great book lists here.

 

I find I buy most books for TOG from the Bookshelf because it's just much easier for me. I get to a certain level you know.

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I manage to move the books I'm trying to read from one room to another, is that what you mean? :D I've ordered some things in the last few weeks, so I've been doing more book management lately. We don't use our library so most of our rotation happens at home. I do use paperback swap but that is more obsession than management.

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Ok, someone explain this library thing to me. Is it for inventorying books you own because I need something like this. I am hoping for something where I can just input the ISBN and not have to type in the title and author.

 

That's exactly what Library Thing does. If you have a lot of books to add (and who doesn't?) then I recommend a bar code reader - they sell a CueCat pretty cheap - less than $20 with shipping I think. And you can add tags, so with a click you can pull up your entire library of ancient history books or whatever.

 

What I use Library Thing the most for, however, is for a record of what books I actually own. I can't tell you how many times I have checked it quickly to see if I already own X or Y book (both online if I am browsing a good sale, or out and about on my phone).

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  • 1 year later...

Amazon wish list, Sonlight shopping cart, Rainbow Resource wish list (my kids groan when UPS shows up because they know it's just more books) and I volunteer at the library's used book store - sort of like giving an addict drugs. I just end up carrying used books back and forth from our house - I bring in the new "used" books from the library and try to cart out some of the old. And I'm constantly rearranging the books in the house.

 

I love it but I think I'm a little crazy ... I guess there are worse hobbies.

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I was just thinking about this the other day. I think I spend between 10 minutes and three hours a day on this depending. Books are really the main part of our homeschooling though and we read a ton of books. I enjoy this a lot except for lugging heavy loads of books back and forth from the library. I have a really simple system. I could be doing more.

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Ok, someone explain this library thing to me. Is it for inventorying books you own because I need something like this. I am hoping for something where I can just input the ISBN and not have to type in the title and author.

 

I don't know about Library Thing, but Homeschool Tracker Plus will let you do this.

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Ok, someone explain this library thing to me. Is it for inventorying books you own because I need something like this. I am hoping for something where I can just input the ISBN and not have to type in the title and author.

 

I've been using Readerware with a cuecat scanner. Both are relatively inexpensive. Library software comes up around here all the time, so do a search and see what the popular ones are. I personally haven't understood the lure of posting online, but that's me. I think some people like to sync with their techie stuff like iphones and know what they have when they shop. I ask dd or buy and let it duplicate. :)

 

So no, managing books takes minimal time around here. But I use the pile method of organization. Don't ask what my mudroom looks like right now, with all this stuff for sale. :) Really and truly though, a bit of simple software would make your life a lot easier. With Readerware and these new fangled ones, you put in the isbn/lccn and it searches to put all the rest of the info. You can still manually enter old books. It's fast, easy, and effective.

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Why? What have you heard? Who have you been talking to? Is an intervention afoot? I don't need help! It's my hobby... My books are my toys...

 

I'm really not comfortable with this line of questioning...

 

:leaving:

 

Kristina

 

(To answer your question, a lot. But I enjoy it and I'm still keeping the kids healthy and educated so it's not really a problem, right?)

 

Oh my gosh. Too funny!

 

I have a few lists going too. Library books I want to check out for the kids, for me, for husband, books I'd like to buy, curriculum I'd like to buy if I find it on sale, ect. I'm a list gal though. I'm also a book gal though so it's a double whammy!

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