Thank You Google Books!

Four weeks ago, I railed against Google Books for removing the "search my library" feature. I also sent them a complaint and I wasn't very sanguine that they'd put it back. I was wrong. Even though this feature's appearance is somewhat altered, I can now search "my library."

To recap why I so desperately wanted it back: this feature allows me to search through my hard copy books electronically. To add a book to "my library", all I have to do is find the book in Google books and add it to "Bookshelves" (was "my library"). Once the book is on one of my bookshelves, I can go to "my library" and do a search for key words, for example, and all the books that I have that have these key words will be displayed. If the publisher has allowed Google Books to display a snippet view or limited view, then this can also be displayed. All public domain books allow full view.

Happy "my library" search everyone.

Major Rant: Google ruined the My Library feature

Google Books has a wonderful search tool that lets you find specific strings in books and they used to have that ability in the "My Library" feature. I loved being able to search my personal library for information where I didn't remember exactly the references where I had found it. (See my June 15,2009 post here.)

It looks completely different now where the books are strung out pictorially in some useless categories such as favorites, read, to be read, etc. instead of just listed with publishing information like they used to. I know what my books look like, I don't need a picture of the jacket.

I can still search the entire Google library and then sift through the hundreds of results for the ones that I've flagged as being in my library. However, there is no way for me to narrow my search choices down to the ones I have, instead of the millions that Google has catalogued.

Why did they have to go and "fix" something that wasn't broken?

Really cool search tool using Google Books

Google Books 'my library' button doesn't just allow you to catalog the books you own on their site, but also allows you to search those books electronically.

From the TYWKIWBDI blog:

"Most web users are at least marginally aware of Google Books. I frankly had not been aware that the site has a "my library" feature, which allows you to import the books you have on your own bookshelves. You can do this by searching Google Books for the title you have and then clicking "add to my library," or you can go to your library list, click import books, and type in the ISBN. The video above also shows that with a handheld scanner (or using your computers webcam and appropriate software) to can rapidly add large numbers of books to the database.

The advantage of compiling "your library" in this fashion is, of course, that when you search Google Books for a keyword or phrase or topic, you can opt to search only the books you already have at home. Nice.

Info found at The Centered Librarian, a blog created by/for librarians but of interest to any serious bibliophile."

You don't need a handheld barcode scanner to enter books into 'my library'. search for the book by title and then click the 'my library' button to add the book. Like the blog's writer, I had no idea what "my library" did for me. Now, I can use Google books to search my print books electronically. It's the best of both worlds!

note: I know I've posted this information on numerous boards and discussion groups--but I think this information bears repeating.