Social Networking Part 3 - Shelfari

After investigating several social networking sites, I realised that one of the regular sites I like to visit is considered a social networking site! OK, so I'm learning!

Shelfari - "the premier social network for people who love books," is a fabulous website I was introduced to last June by a friend who like myself, has a love of books.

When you sign up to Shelfari you create yourself a 'shelf,' where you download titles and pictures of books you have read, want to read and are currently reading, for the viewing pleasure of others on the same site.
You can also invite friends to be members via your various e-mail accounts, and you can join "groups" that discuss general topics on books and life as well as author and book specific. You can also receive e-mails from Shelfari requesting your reviews on certain books you have read.

I really enjoy using Shelfari, as I can keep track of the books I am reading, I can make a note of the books I want to read, plus I can discover new authors and books.

I probably don't really use Shelfari to it's full potential as I do not really interact with many people or groups on the site, but I like the idea of my own virtual shelf of books that people can view and ultimately learn a little about me, the authors I like and the books I want to read. The books I choose and read show a lot about who I am or where I am in my life, and people on Shelfari would understand that a lot more than my friends on on other social networking websites.

Being topic specific, this social networking website is not a site for everyone, so when inviting your friends to be part of this site, I suggest you stop and think, 'would this be a good site for [insert friend's name here]?' because if they are not the reading type, it is not really something that may hold their attention.

So does Shelfari add value to my life? Before I started in on my new course and new career path, Shelfari was fun and appealed to my passion for books in the virtual world, and now it is helping me learn about Social Networking and showing me a positive site for books and possibly librarians on the World Wide Web.

Investigating social networks have been interesting and I have found (through Wikipedia) a series of topic specific sites that could be a lot of fun, so when I get some time, I think I will get myself onto another one that is more in-line with what I like or am passionate about instead of a general one.