- LISWire: EBSCO Releases Social Work Reference Center™ Bringing Evidence-Based Information to Social Workers
- LISWire: La Veta Public Library Goes Live on LibLime Koha 4.14
- LISWire: Griffin Free Public Library Chooses ByWater Solutions’ Koha Support
- LISWire: Lester Public Library of the South Central Library System (SCLS) Goes Live on LibLime Koha 4.14
Do Book Ratings Belong in Library Catalogs?
September 19, 2011 - 6:18am — Blake
Do Book Ratings Belong in Library Catalogs?
"To me it feels like a violation of public library philosophy. I have less of a problem when the rating is average or high because I assume it encourages patrons to check out a book they are already considering. But when patrons see a low rating on a book in our catalog, especially a rating not attributed to an individual patron, it appears that our library is bad-mouthing the book…and that discourages, rather than promotes, literacy."
Recent comments
- we all deserve hefty salaries Stephen
11 hours 29 minutes ago - Thank you!
1 day 2 hours ago - and do we all know...
1 day 8 hours ago - Wait
2 days 2 hours ago - Disposal razors
4 days 10 hours ago - General context of laws
4 days 14 hours ago - Library website
5 days 9 hours ago - inspiring presentation.
1 week 10 hours ago - garden of lawsuits
1 week 13 hours ago - Deja vu
1 week 1 day ago
Recent blog posts
- Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World
- The Bradbury Chronicles
- Cites & Insights 13:6 (June 2013) now available
- Brought to You by Mountain Dew
- Book: Fear Less
- The End of Power
- If you don't read my dog, I'll shoot this book.
- Cites & Insights 13:5 (May 2013) available
- Skygods
- Pandora's Lunchbox
Comments
Book Ratings
I can understand the concern but I admit I'd like to see the ratings.
Positive ones would probably influence some to select titles/authors hitherto unknown to them. Negative ones, well I'm contrary minded enough that I might sign the thing out to see for myself, OR I'd explore why it was given a negative rating. ie. mismatch for audience? content v style? etc. It could certainly inform collection development.
Of course I would prefer all ratings to be attributable. Real name or nom de plume wouldn't matter as long as there were a means to connect. If we wish to comment then we should stand behind what we say & allow others to engage us too.
Oh really?
"If we wish to comment then we should stand behind what we say & allow others to engage us too." - Anonymous
So this sentiment doesn't extend to LISNews? I actually agree with everything you said in your comment, but I couldn't resist picking on you a little bit over this.;)
Post your comment below. Now fortified with cuddly kittens!