LibraryThingTim
@librarythingtim.bsky.social
LibraryThing founder. Father, hacker, bibliophile, ex-classicist, Mainer, Catholic. I tweet books, libraries, technology, culture.
LibraryThing: @librarything.com
LibraryThing: @librarything.com
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Talpa Search is BETTER! We've released a big upgrade to @LibraryThing's groundbreaking new library search, with significant advances on "What's that book?" benchmark searches. 🧵
FWIW, I'm pretty damn proud of this work. Every percent improvement in the quality score was a struggle. There are some genuinely new ideas underneath here, but also a lot of experimenting, testing, tuning, and running things over and over!
IT'S OUT! The top library books of 2025, from Syndetics Unbound, @LibraryThing and @clarivateag.bsky.social
proquest.syndetics.com/news/2025/12... 🧵
proquest.syndetics.com/news/2025/12... 🧵
December 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM
IT'S OUT! The top library books of 2025, from Syndetics Unbound, @LibraryThing and @clarivateag.bsky.social
proquest.syndetics.com/news/2025/12... 🧵
proquest.syndetics.com/news/2025/12... 🧵
Reposted by LibraryThingTim
Content Café is closing Dec 15, 2025 but Syndetics has you covered with free catalog cover images through Jan 31, 2026.
Seamless setup, no cost, no hassle—just keep your library looking sharp: about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
Seamless setup, no cost, no hassle—just keep your library looking sharp: about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
December 15, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Content Café is closing Dec 15, 2025 but Syndetics has you covered with free catalog cover images through Jan 31, 2026.
Seamless setup, no cost, no hassle—just keep your library looking sharp: about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
Seamless setup, no cost, no hassle—just keep your library looking sharp: about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
1/2 All I want is an e-ink tablet. Must be limited—not a general purpose device I can check my email on. Must be very large (letter or larger), so I can read full PDFs comfortably. Must allow me to read SOME proprietary ebook standard. Must convert writing to text and also handle dictation.
December 15, 2025 at 5:39 PM
1/2 All I want is an e-ink tablet. Must be limited—not a general purpose device I can check my email on. Must be very large (letter or larger), so I can read full PDFs comfortably. Must allow me to read SOME proprietary ebook standard. Must convert writing to text and also handle dictation.
Reposted by LibraryThingTim
Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago.
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
December 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago.
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
I'm working on our race of the most popular books in public libraries. The data is mostly what you'd expect. But then, in early November, François Rabelais' 17th century fantastical riot of fart jokes "Gargantua and Pantagruel" leaps far ahead of all other books!
Did I miss something on TikTok?
Did I miss something on TikTok?
December 15, 2025 at 3:42 AM
I'm working on our race of the most popular books in public libraries. The data is mostly what you'd expect. But then, in early November, François Rabelais' 17th century fantastical riot of fart jokes "Gargantua and Pantagruel" leaps far ahead of all other books!
Did I miss something on TikTok?
Did I miss something on TikTok?
Baker and Taylor's "Content Café," is going dark on Monday, Dec 15, 2025. Cover images are going to vanish across thousands of library catalogs.
If this is your library, Syndetics is offering free cover images through Jan. 31, 2026. No cost, no hassle.
about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
If this is your library, Syndetics is offering free cover images through Jan. 31, 2026. No cost, no hassle.
about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
Syndetics offers complimentary cover image service for libraries
Content Café subscribers can request free access to Syndetics cover images through January 31, 2026.
about.proquest.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Baker and Taylor's "Content Café," is going dark on Monday, Dec 15, 2025. Cover images are going to vanish across thousands of library catalogs.
If this is your library, Syndetics is offering free cover images through Jan. 31, 2026. No cost, no hassle.
about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
If this is your library, Syndetics is offering free cover images through Jan. 31, 2026. No cost, no hassle.
about.proquest.com/en/blog/2025...
Upcoming "Year in Review" for LibraryThing includes a section for your authors who died this year. I don't have any. Either I'm reading books by young people or by already dead people. I think you can guess which.
December 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Upcoming "Year in Review" for LibraryThing includes a section for your authors who died this year. I don't have any. Either I'm reading books by young people or by already dead people. I think you can guess which.
At one point or another there seem to have been up to a dozen Spanish-language LibraryThing/Goodreads clones—a few still extant—and every single one is from Span, not Latin America. Why?
December 10, 2025 at 2:02 AM
At one point or another there seem to have been up to a dozen Spanish-language LibraryThing/Goodreads clones—a few still extant—and every single one is from Span, not Latin America. Why?
Reposted by LibraryThingTim
"there's a new serif in town"
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:06 AM
"there's a new serif in town"
December 5, 2025 at 7:08 AM
CM did not, actually, need to do this. Like some other universities—but not all!—they are acquiescing to Trump Administration bullying. Code4Lib must NOT change its scholarships to comply with this. And indeed I would propose that CM not be welcome at future events. Cowardice must have its price.
Carnegie Mellon has cancelled hosting the Code4Lib conference this year because Code4Lib has scholarships supporting diverse attendees. Some lame fuckery indeed.
Carnegie Mellon deciding at the last minute that they can't host the annual Code4Lib conference is some lame fuckery.
December 5, 2025 at 6:31 AM
CM did not, actually, need to do this. Like some other universities—but not all!—they are acquiescing to Trump Administration bullying. Code4Lib must NOT change its scholarships to comply with this. And indeed I would propose that CM not be welcome at future events. Cowardice must have its price.
Carnegie Mellon has cancelled hosting the Code4Lib conference this year because Code4Lib has scholarships supporting diverse attendees. Some lame fuckery indeed.
Carnegie Mellon deciding at the last minute that they can't host the annual Code4Lib conference is some lame fuckery.
December 5, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Carnegie Mellon has cancelled hosting the Code4Lib conference this year because Code4Lib has scholarships supporting diverse attendees. Some lame fuckery indeed.
Intelligence is knowing that an ISBN is any 10 digit number where the last digit is the mod 11 of the sum of all the other digits.
Wisdom is slapping down 0123456789, 1111111111, 2222222222, 3333333333…
Wisdom is slapping down 0123456789, 1111111111, 2222222222, 3333333333…
December 3, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Intelligence is knowing that an ISBN is any 10 digit number where the last digit is the mod 11 of the sum of all the other digits.
Wisdom is slapping down 0123456789, 1111111111, 2222222222, 3333333333…
Wisdom is slapping down 0123456789, 1111111111, 2222222222, 3333333333…
I wonder if that's Whole Foods, or sorting and delivery alone.
November 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I wonder if that's Whole Foods, or sorting and delivery alone.
Just confirmed: I'm going to the Guadalajara International Book Fair in early December. Anyone else attending?
November 27, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Just confirmed: I'm going to the Guadalajara International Book Fair in early December. Anyone else attending?
Reposted by LibraryThingTim
Canadian Soul: "Aretha Franklin considered Anne Shirley somewhat of a kindred spirit, and was quoted saying 'Anne of Green Gables' was one of her 'favourite things.'" #CanLit #BookSky www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Why Aretha Franklin found a kindred spirit in Anne of Green Gables | CBC News
Aretha Franklin considered Anne Shirley somewhat of a kindred spirit, and was quoted saying Anne of Green Gables was one of her "favourite things."
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Canadian Soul: "Aretha Franklin considered Anne Shirley somewhat of a kindred spirit, and was quoted saying 'Anne of Green Gables' was one of her 'favourite things.'" #CanLit #BookSky www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Thing that irritates me: Turks on social media correcting me I have to call their country "Türkiye." I call it that when I speak Turkish, of course, but Turks can't get huffy when they call Germany "Almanya," not Deutschland, Albania "Arnavutluk," not Shqipëria, Greece "Yunanistan," etc.
November 20, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Thing that irritates me: Turks on social media correcting me I have to call their country "Türkiye." I call it that when I speak Turkish, of course, but Turks can't get huffy when they call Germany "Almanya," not Deutschland, Albania "Arnavutluk," not Shqipëria, Greece "Yunanistan," etc.
Does anyone go to the Guadalajara International Book Fair? I don't have any Spanish. How many vendors will be able to talk to me?
November 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Does anyone go to the Guadalajara International Book Fair? I don't have any Spanish. How many vendors will be able to talk to me?
That thing where serious devotees call it "caving" not "spelunking" needs to be opposed. It's spelunking and they're spelunkers. You don't get to change the word, especially when it's so great.
November 19, 2025 at 5:56 PM
That thing where serious devotees call it "caving" not "spelunking" needs to be opposed. It's spelunking and they're spelunkers. You don't get to change the word, especially when it's so great.
I'm in NYC for 2-3 days. Any bookish events or places I should be going to?
November 19, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I'm in NYC for 2-3 days. Any bookish events or places I should be going to?
How many of you get these emails from Nextdoor? It's such a shitty pattern to present a tiny, tiny bit of the message, so you click it. When someone messages you on LibraryThing, you get the whole message in your email. If you don't want to go to LibraryThing, okay.
November 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
How many of you get these emails from Nextdoor? It's such a shitty pattern to present a tiny, tiny bit of the message, so you click it. When someone messages you on LibraryThing, you get the whole message in your email. If you don't want to go to LibraryThing, okay.
I'm not sure I trust this algorithm.
November 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM
I'm not sure I trust this algorithm.
1/2 What is it like to learn Greek and Latin these days? I had basically no tech when I did; looking up words was such a pain, you really had an incentive to memorize. Or you could read with a Loeb, but I found that a VERY mixed blessing. Perseus existed, but it as clunky and slow. I never used it.
November 11, 2025 at 10:51 PM
1/2 What is it like to learn Greek and Latin these days? I had basically no tech when I did; looking up words was such a pain, you really had an incentive to memorize. Or you could read with a Loeb, but I found that a VERY mixed blessing. Perseus existed, but it as clunky and slow. I never used it.
I'm sorry to find out that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has failed. My condolences to the former resident of this smoking crater.
November 10, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I'm sorry to find out that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has failed. My condolences to the former resident of this smoking crater.
I was going to post a chart showing the crushing decline of many PHP and Perl books on LibraryThing, but actually ALL programming books fell off a cliff.
Confirmation of what we all know: People don't read programming books anymore.
Confirmation of what we all know: People don't read programming books anymore.
November 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM
I was going to post a chart showing the crushing decline of many PHP and Perl books on LibraryThing, but actually ALL programming books fell off a cliff.
Confirmation of what we all know: People don't read programming books anymore.
Confirmation of what we all know: People don't read programming books anymore.