Shelfari is Amazon’s original reader platform – keep a list of your TBRs, share with others, comment, etc.  I don’t know whether Amazon bought it from someone else in the relatively distant past, but they have announced that on 16th March it will be closing, or merging with Goodreads.  Shelfari users can get files to download for their own use, or  can transfer easily to a Goodreads account by following the instructions.

I learned of this from LibraryThing.

I do have a Shelfari account, although I’m not very active on it.  I mainly used it to list the extra information about my books that was allegedly transferable to the Amazon buying page.  In fact I only discovered it was a reader site because of the link on the Amazon author’s book pages.  I rather enjoyed doing the data for my books.  It focused the mind – especially on the ‘book in a nutshell’ – which was a limited word one line summary.  There was also the opportunity to do thumbnail character sketches, again, fun for both reader and author alike.  You can see what I mean here – on the Princelings of the East Shelfari page (link available until 16 March 2016).  I never noticed it linking on the buying pages, though.  Maybe the functionality was discontinued as soon as indie authors found it.

I downloaded the files to save my information, and found that the extras on the books weren’t included.  That’s a shame, and I will have to copy and paste, probably to the Princelings website, since I rather like what I did for them there.

But why did I learn this from LibraryThing? It may be that I had my email settings on Shelfari off; maybe I just didn’t notice industry news; maybe it went to spam (which I doubt, as I check spam daily for things that shouldn’t go there but do and I can’t get them however many times I add the email address to my whitelist).  LibraryThing are offering a lifetime membership to anyone who transfers from Shelfari, and has even set up a group for Shelfarians on Librarything!  Come to think of it, since I’ve complained in the past that I can’t add books to LibraryThing without paying for membership, maybe I should try transferring my Shelfari account across.  I suspect I’d have to use a different name though.  Although maybe I should check on current membership options.

Since I’m happy on Goodreads, with nearly 1000 books listed (half of them on the TBR list), and enough Groups to get me thoroughly engaged on the computer for all the hours I’m not blogging, tweeting, Facebooking or writing, I’ll pass on the LibraryThing thing.  But if you are on LibraryThing already, look for a giveaway of The Perihelix, to more or less match the one I have on Goodreads (they end on 28/29 Feb).  

Does the closure of Shelfari mean that readers become more limited on online reading forums?  Does it matter?  I don’t know.  Not for me, anyway, but if you love Shelfari, you’re probably upset.  Best wishes, and see you on Goodreads if that’s your decision.

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Would you like to do a book blast or other blogpost for The Perihelix?  I have html available.  Just let me know.

Shelfari is closing … so what?
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4 thoughts on “Shelfari is closing … so what?

  • 8 February, 2016 at 4:21 pm
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    Interesting. I, too, have a Shelfari account, for the same reasons as you list (and I’ve done nothing with it past the first book; when I figured out that it was a social media site I decided to focus on Goodreads). And I just learned it’s closing by reading your blog. Sounds like they are just quietly packing up and slipping out the back way!

  • 8 February, 2016 at 4:22 pm
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    BTW–I don’t seem to be able to connect to Shelfari this morning….

    • 8 February, 2016 at 4:47 pm
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      I got into my Princelings page through the link above okay, although it took a while to connect.

      • 8 February, 2016 at 5:53 pm
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        Yeah, it eventually did connect. I copied out anything that looked useful, and the rest doesn’t matter. I don’t think anyone ever looked at it.

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