This week I investigated LibraryThing. LibraryThing is a way to catalog books based on your own metatags. LibraryThing is also a social network centered around you and the books that you read, and there are ways to find other users that like to read the same things. Whereas this generation of children is already tech savvy, it would be great for them to know that reading helps connect and form communities, even virtual communities, on the world's stage. When used in a library setting, I can see it being a way to create book discussions, connecting in the digital space to what they are reading and the people with whom they can share these experiences as well. There is a way to track books that you are currently reading, or want to read, and this would be an awesome tool for a school library media specialist to find out what books students are interested in, as well; in effect, a reverse reader's advisory!
There are also forums within LibraryThing called Talk. I can imagine these forums to be useful for classroom discussion while students are reading, without having to worry about spoilers or fast vs. slow readers in the classroom. A teacher could assign a book to be read over the course of the semester, with questions and discussion to be had as reading was completed, and students could get online and read and add their own insight at thier own pace.
I created a LibraryThing for a couple of books I have sitting around at home. My LibraryThing profile is here: https://www.librarything.com/profile/pikamiya
Another thing that I find compelling about LibraryThing is the ability to set a start date and completion date for titles you are reading. This would help with reading logs on a school level as well!
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