State of the Thing

LibraryThing: State of the Thing Dear {NAME}, Welcome to the August 2017 State of the Thing. This month we're reading Homo Deus, plus we have some MARC import updates. If you'd rather receive a plain-text version, [edit your email preferences](. You can also [read it online](. Our State of the Thing archive lives [here](. You can like LibraryThing on [Facebook]( and follow [@LibraryThing]( on Twitter for up-to-the-minute site news and updates. MARC Import Updates MARC imports have gotten a significant boost. Since we [introduced]( the MARC Import feature, the ability to map fields as specified by each member has been high on our request list. Now, when you import MARC records into LibraryThing, you can also import data into the barcodes, custom call numbers, and comments fields. This happens in the second step of the MARC import process—at the same time you're setting Tags, Collections, etc. These improvements may seem small, but they make it much easier to move library data into LT. See the changes in action, and share your feedback on [Talk](. Group Read: Homo Deus re back for another edition of [One LibraryThing, One Book](! For August, we're be reading Yuval Noah Harari's [Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow](. Following on the heels of his hit, [Sapiens](, Harari's latest book looks toward humanity's future, and examines the implications of the abilities humans have acquired over the years. The Guardian has a great [review]( of it, if you're curious. This is our first foray into non-fiction for OLOB, and we think this selection will make for interesting discussions. [» See the blog post to read along!]( Discussion is now live! If you'd like to share your thoughts, hop on over to the [One LibraryThing, One Book]( group. Talk of the Thing [Most respected novels by country.]( What are the most respected novels in your country? LT members are sharing theirs—[join the discussion]( and add yours. [Favorite literary pet/critter.]( Harry Potter's owls? Cryptic cats from Wonderland? Tell us about your favorite literary pet or critter on [Talk]( or [Facebook](. [Happy birthday to us!]( Some of you have already noticed that Tim's 12th Thingaversary came up the other day. That means LT's official birthday isn't far behind! Stay tuned to the [Talk About LibraryThing group]( around the 29th to celebrate with us. LibraryThing Android App In case you missed it, in June, we released our first [Android app](. [» Download it from Google Play]( Tutorial Kristi made a tutorial to show how simple it is to catalog your library using the mobile app. [Check it out!]( TinyCat News Tiny Tutorials - [Importing your books]( - [Barcode labels]( Check out our [Tiny Tutorials]( and [LibraryThing for TinyCat Users]( series. Every other week, Kristi highlights a different feature, and walks you through how to use it in 30 seconds or less. Weekly Webinars We also offer free, weekly webinars giving an overview of TinyCat every Wednesday, at 1pm Eastern. Join us for our next one, this Wednesday, August 30th, at 1pm Eastern. Head over to [this link]( at that time, and look for the TinyCat Webinar. If Wednesday at 1pm doesn't work for you, let us know—we'll be happy to schedule a session for you. [TinyCat]() is the online catalog for small libraries, created by LibraryThing. It turns your existing LibraryThing account into a simple, professional, web-based catalog. We're here to answer your TinyCat questions via email at any time: [tinycat@librarything.com](mailto:tincyat@librarything.com). Stay tuned to our [Facebook]( and [Twitter]( pages for more announcements, or see a recorded webinar from July on our [YouTube Channel](. Free Books: Early Reviewers are not currently signed up for [LibraryThing's Early Reviewers]( program. You are missing out! Early Reviewers offers free books to members—about 100 titles a month! Since 2007, we've given out over 160,000 books. The catch? Publishers want your honest review. How you review a book won't help or hurt your chances of winning books in the future, but not reviewing your winning will. [» Sign up for Early Reviewers]( The August batch of [Early Reviewers]( books features 3,260 copies of 112 different titles. The deadline to request a free book is Monday, July 31st at 6pm, Eastern. Look for the September batch around the 5th. The most requested books so far from the August batch: More free books: Member Giveaways any given time, there are hundreds of books available from our Member Giveaways program. It's like Early Reviewers, but isn't limited to select publishers—any author or member can post books. [Request books, or offer your own](! Hot titles this month - [Norse Mythology]( by Neil Gaiman - [The Woman in Cabin 10]( by Ruth Ware - [The Underground Railroad]( by Colson Whitehead - [Hillbilly Elegy]( by J.D. Vance - [Homegoing]( by Yaa Gyasi - [The Fifth Season]( by N.K. Jemisin - [Everything, Everything]( by Nicola Yoon - [Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]( by Yuval Noah Harari - [Commonwealth]( by Ann Patchett - [Before the Fall]( by Noah Hawley That's it for this month. I'll see you all in September! Questions, comments, ideas? Send them my way. —Loranne (loranne@librarything.com) WHY YOU GOT THIS: At some point you signed up for LibraryThing's monthly "State of the Thing" email. If you'd like to unsubscribe, [edit your profile preferences](. This message was sent to {NAME}. Edit your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from future emails](.