The Question of "Questionable" Subjects

Goodreads- The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

In this atmosphere of digital connectivity is it any wonder that platforms such as Goodreads are growing and thriving?  Looking at digital bookshelves and getting personalized recommendations from my friends can make finding new books to read a breeze.  Why would I ever leave my house when I can get recommendations and then download books on my device through my digital online library app- or Kindle E-reader?  I can even order a physical book online through Amazon, and that puppy will show up at my door in 2 days with Prime.  However, I would argue that in the current progress of the digital revolution Goodreads is more likely to phase out than the traditional library.  Changes for the online spectrum tend to happen quickly, and can easily turn a necessity to a has-been overnight.

From: https://www.goodreads.com/about/press

The Good:

In 2016 I finally broke down and started a Goodreads account.  However, it was only when I started working at the Prescott Public Library as a part-time librarian in the Fall of 2017 that I actually recall using the site.  It was a tool that my fellow librarians used, along with Novelist, and NextReads to help them provide Readers’ Advisory services to their patrons young and old.  It did not take long to convert me.  When using Goodreads as a tool I felt that I had a better way to anticipate what patrons would enjoy about a book because the readers’ reviews were much more informative than a traditional publisher review.

I am not the only believer.  Goodreads has 90 million members, 2.6 billion books listed on their site, and over 90 million reviews (About Goodreads).  Additionally, Goodreads is a verifiable and regularly used site that helps connect readers by utilizing aspects of social media including friend lists imported from Facebook- and the ability to cross-post book progress and even personal reviews on Facebook and Twitter.  There is also, that little convenience factor at play as discussed in Reference & User Services Quarterly (2012),

“There is no inconvenience of having to physically go to a certain location at a certain time to discuss only a certain book. Users may participate as much or as little as they like and still be part of the discussion,” (Trott & Naik, p. 322).

But more than just offering a social connection, Goodreads provides goal-oriented challenges and book giveaways.  For readers it can operate as a one-stop shop offering the publisher’s information on a book, reader reviews (including a priority given to friend’s reviews which are listed first) and links to purchasing the title from Amazon.  As Michael Bernick wrote for Forbes magazine, “Goodreads brings the advantages common throughout social media of building communities, reducing isolation, and connecting people who would otherwise never meet,” (2017).  It has become a free online book community that readers, RA professionals, and publishers love.  

          The Bad:

No one wants to hear that their sacred cow isn’t perfect, but Goodreads while a useful tool, is still just a fancy social network for books.  However, it is one with growing power and presence on the literary and publishing scene.  In a 2014 interview with The Atlantic founder Otis Chandler lauded, “We’re firmly convinced that in the next five years, social is going to be one of the biggest changes in publishing. And we’re convinced of that because we see it working on Goodreads. It already is the way people find books, right?” (Narula, 2014). 

So far, so good, right?  Except that where there is influence, there is power.  The publishing industry has transitioned from a place where writers followed the publicity goals of their traditional publishing houses to a more modern version of authors connecting directly with readers to drive sales via Goodreads (Bernick, 2017).  Now, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be an author without all the leg-work of being a social media presence too. What books are we going to miss out on because they were not picked up by a traditional publisher who only looks to digital trends and branding presence when making signing choices?

          The Ugly:

In an effort to stay relevant, Goodreads has recently expanded its interconnectivity with a new browser plug-in called Available Reads that links your existing Goodreads TBR lists with Overdrive and let you know if the title is available at your public library (Jenson, 2019).  There are, however, those who feel that these sorts of advances are not quite enough, and believe that Goodreads is going to have to make more advances, and soon, to stay on top of the trends.  An article from Book Riot in November of 2019 noted,

“There are no two ways around it, Goodreads is due for an update. The website needs a visual refresh—the color palette and design feel incredibly outdated. [...] Books are added every day to the platform, but the shell hasn’t grown or evolved as quickly as its user base,” (Coelho, 2019).

Goodreads is making changes, to be sure, but the question is, are those changes going to be fast enough?  Are plug-ins that connect the site to Overdrive going to become an exercise in cross-utilization and increase the lifespan of the site, or is going to go the way of other platforms such as Shelfari and be usurped and swallowed up in the next big thing?  

          The Final Quandary:

There are so many changes happening in libraries in this age of digital transformation.  It should not be surprising that Readers’ Advisory is subject to this changing tide as well.  Traditionally, librarians would conduct RA using patron interviews, or advisory forms, (Hollands, 2006.).  However, patrons are starting to expect more from libraries and librarians. Recommendations from trusted librarians is great, but who do you trust more, your librarian or your friend?  It would be a far stretch to say that Goodreads would make librarians obsolete, there are many more functions that librarians fulfill than just RA, but what would a library look like without librarians performing RA services?

I still do not see evidence that this is going to happen.  Personal interactions with librarians are a part of the daily routine, and even if it is just as simple as a librarian demonstrating Goodreads or Novelist as a resource for the patron, there is a place for both to work cohesively.  The New Jersey State Library has a list of ways that libraries can utilize Goodreads to work for them as a publicity site- including the creation of member pages, online book clubs, reading lists, creating lists of staff picks, and even posting instructional videos to the Goodreads platform, (McClary, 2016).  Social media is not going anywhere, and libraries are becoming more and more adept at using these platforms- including Goodreads- as marketing tools, (Hooper, 2014). Libraries and librarians are creative people, and as the digital cohesion of libraries continue to advance, I only see more ways that these traditional institutions will find to connect to their patrons and their communities, both online and in person.  Whether or not Goodreads has the staying power to be a long-term player in the game, well, we shall see.

References:

About Goodreads. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2020, from https://www.goodreads.com/about/us 

Bernick, M. (2017, March 15). What Goodreads' Explosive Growth Means for Writers and the Broader Economy. Retrieved March 7, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbernick/2017/03/15/what-goodreads-explosive-growth-means-for-writers-and-the-broader-economy/#408242e41d6a 

Coelho, S. (2019, November 7). The Current State and Future of Goodreads. Retrieved March 6, 2020, from https://bookriot.com/2019/11/07/future-of-goodreads/ 

Hollands, N. (2006). Improving the Model for Interactive Readers' Advisory Service. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 45(3), 205-212. Retrieved from Research Library.

Hooper, R. (2014). Using Goodreads in Adult Programming: A Case Study. Tennessee Libraries, 64(3). Retrieved from https://www.tnla.org/page/TL64_3_goodreads# 

Jensen, K. (2019, November 25). Available Reads Extension is a Game Changer. Retrieved March 7, 2020, from https://bookriot.com/2019/11/25/available-reads-extension/ 

McClary, T. (2016, December 1). How the Public Library Can Connect with Readers on Goodreads. Retrieved March 7, 2020, from https://www.njstatelib.org/public-library-can-connect-readers-goodreads/ 

Narula, S. K. (2014, February 12). Millions of People Reading Alone, Together: The Rise of Goodreads. Retrieved February 28, 2020, from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/02/millions-of-people-reading-alone-together-the-rise-of-goodreads/283662/ 

Trott, B., & Naik, Y. (2012). Finding Good Reads on Goodreads. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 51(4), 319-323. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.51n4.319