Comments on: library software and bibliographic tools

By: David HM Spector

David HM Spector — Fri, 25 Jun 2004 21:56:05 +0000

Hi dana,

I use ReaderWare which is a Java based system that rus on Macs, PCs, Linux, etc. Works very well, and the author is very responsive to suggestions…

_DHMS

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 17:32:01 +0000

I can’t believe no one has mentioned “Books” yet. It’s a Mac OS X application. I stumbled across it a short while ago, have played around with it some, and am now debating whether to use it to catalog my personal library.

http://books.aetherial.net/

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 15 Jun 2004 10:41:00 +0000

danah, you can add custom fields to EndNote for ownership/lending data. Filling in the missing data would be a great idea; what I do now is add books by searching for them in the LC database, and then copying them to my library and adding my custom data.

Reference Manager is Windows-only, I believe.

By: srl

srl — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:23:11 +0000

I’m also interested in what you end up choosing, both for the “loaning media to people” case and the “scholarly reference” case. I could personally use a good uber-media catalog, since I loan books and CDs out on a regular basis. And, well, I’ll be a grad student in the fall; first-years in my program have half their credit load in independent research; and I’m a geek who doesn’t like to do work that a machine can do better.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 17:25:05 +0000

Look at Reference Manager. You can import references from the internet, such as from Melvyl. And yes, you can note that you own it and who you lent it to. You can define a lot of fields of your own and organize/search by them. And it’ll auto-fill from your own authority file, i.e., once you enter boyd, danah as an author, next time you type “bo..” it’ll offer you boyd, danah as a choice.

By: zephoria

zephoria — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 15:41:25 +0000

Biblio* is Windows-only, but i forget why i didn’t like it on Windows either and went back to Filemaker.

As for EndNote, why can’t i use it as a Library tool too? Why can’t i mark that i own said article/book in physical/digital form and note who it is lent to? I hate archiving twice. And why doesn’t it fill in the missing info for me by connecting to the Internet?

By: Scott Moore

Scott Moore — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:05:04 +0000

I am so glad you posted this! I’ve been wanting a biblographic tool for a while and was hoping to ask for advice but you always seemed so busy. Chalk one up for Synchronysisty.

danah, please post what you pick and why. I’m still up in the air over EndNote and Biblioscape.

By: jim

jim — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 11:28:54 +0000

…and another, The Brain, http://www.thebrain.com

By: joe

joe — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 09:46:06 +0000

Here’s another one for your library, doll… Stanley Milgram’s biography from March 2004: http://www.stanleymilgram.com/

By: Patrik Svensson

Patrik Svensson — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 08:23:54 +0000

Yes – Biblioscape is the commercial version of Biblioexpress (http://www.biblioscape.com). I am rather obbsessed iwth bibliographic software – probably an attempt to bring order into my life.

http://blog.humlab.umu.se/patrik/archives/000526.html

One of the things i like with Biblioscape is that it is not only a stack of cards inserted into the computer. There are some new features here and also a “fresh feel”. Also you can access/change/etc the database through a web interface (and also publish bibligraphies to the rest of the world). And you can link to entries directly from a webpage (if you run the server on your computer). Also (as in many other programs) you can retrieve bibliographic information from internet-based databases (this feature may be better in programs like Endnote though).