THING 35: Books 2.0

Books are still my favorite things about libraries! One of the articles said: "You don't have to spend anything to read a book if you have a library card". As a children's librarian, I have seen the decline in reading by children. One year our summer readers read over 1800 hours total and the next year it was only 800! I used to have many children taking large stacks of books home. I don't see this much anymore. I feel there are so many other activities and distractions available for children, that reading isn't always a priority. Of course, the parents have the greatest impact on their children's reading habits. I have had many parents help their children pick out movies. When the child wants to take out a book also they will say, "no books today". I think this is so sad that they would discourage a child's interest in taking out a book from the library. Couldn't the book be returned at the same time that the movie is returned?
I think the Book 2.0 tools should enhance one's reading experience. It's a great way to connect with others with similar interests. I didn't realize how many tools were available. I visited many of the tools including Library Thing, Books in My Phone, Reading Trails, Overbooked, Booksprouts, Librivox, Swap Tree, Book Browse, Just One More Book, Bookswim, and Visual Bookshelf. I explored Reading Trails further and added a widget to my blog. However, the widget doesn't work. Suggestions? This is a great site for those patrons who want a series similar to another one they have read or something they liked about a book for whatever reason.
I also added GoodreadsBooks to my Facebook account. I looked at BookCrossing, but didn't have a book that I wanted to part with right now!
All of these sites have good uses, but I still wonder about the personal connections that we could be missing. How about recommending a book to your neighbor or your hair dresser. My hair dresser recommends The Shack!