Introduction
I have large DVD collection. It has grown quite a bit in the last couple months, and I have been having a harder time keeping track of titles that I already own and titles that intend to purchase. As a result, I solicited recommendations for online sites used to catalog DVDs. This Topic Report is an exploration of the usability of two popular websites that help users catalog personal collections. The first is site I looked at was LibraryThing, which has been traditionally used for books and printed material, but which could be adapted for a DVD collection. The second site I looked at is DVD Aficionado, a popular website specifically used for the DVD format in all its incarnations (HD-DVD, DVD Audio, and Blu-Ray Discs). Both sites are free for members, but, through monetary donations, users can gain access to more features.
One goal of this experiment is to see how well the structure that LibraryThing provides users for their print material could be adapted for DVDs and other information items. There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding this issue. Arguments on both sides can often be found on the message boards of LibraryThing. It seems that much of the argument on the side of adding functionality for other items would allow a greater cross-referencing power between formats (books made into movies, videogames made into books, songs used in movies, etc.). The argument against this evolution tends to be elitist in nature. Users worry about how such a change would alter the bookish culture of LibraryThing. This argument mirrors ones often heard in the LIS field about the adaptability of libraries and the future roles that librarians can fill.
Further questions that I consider in this experiment concern the adaptability of both LibraryThing and DVD Aficionado, how their catalogs differ, who provides content, who are the catalogs geared towards, and how well each of them accommodates the diverse needs of their users.
My LibraryThing Collection
My DVD Aficionado Collection
While both formats look similar, we can immediately see a fundamental difference between the two sites. LibraryThing has columns for tags, ratings, and viewing and editing information about the title. The format is interactive with several views that can be used. Metadata and records can be altered with just a couple mouse clicks. Links at the top of the page take the user to other social or work areas that fall under the umbrella of LibraryThing. On the other hand, DVD Aficionado has a different focus. The collection view lists special features that can be found on DVDs, and links to where the cheapest price can be found. There are also links to particular DVD publishers so that collectors can search the catalog by making use of an under-utilized piece of metadata. There are no tags on this site. DVD Aficionado provides genres for all titles and a limited number of subfolders can be created for a collection. The red arrow points to the standard list of available folders as well as the two that I created for my collection, “samurai” and “Italian exploitation stuff.” It is also important to note that the photos provided by DVD Aficionado are uniform, while LibraryThing’s images are not.
The focus of DVD Aficionado is primarily on collecting DVDs and finding bargains on DVDs rather than on directly connecting users to other users or allowing users to customize their collections and records to suit their preferences or needs. The alternate view of collections that DVD Aficionado provides is on the basis of genre, which lets users see only the films that fall within specific genres and subgenres. Users can see how many actual DVD discs are contained in their collection by clicking “Count Discs” or the number of different titles by clicking “Count Titles.” These functions are useful when collections are comprised of many multi DVD or film sets, but also have the added bonus of allowing users to more accurately account for or compare the size of their collections. (See image below)
Cataloging
I started this experiment by cataloging a few trade paperback comic books using LibraryThing. I assumed that doing this would help introduce me to the structure and features of the site. I also thought that cataloging specifically comic books would introduce me to a population of LibraryThing users who would be as particular about the items in the catalog as DVD collectors. Cataloging twenty comic books was easy and took less time than I had imagined. I searched for my items by title and occasionally by ISBN. The records, while not necessarily complete or perfect, were certainly usable. It did not take long to adapt these records to make my collection more uniform. Most of the issues I encountered pertained to the
My DVD Aficionado Collection (Alternate View)
alphabetization of my collection due to inconsistent punctuation in titles. The tag clouds associated with each work were useful and the “common knowledge” metadata contributed by users seemed like it could be useful for the site in the future, but I preferred my own tags to ones suggested. However, I was immediately struck by the fact that many of the book recommendations that LibraryThing made were already cataloged and in my collection. I found is surprising that a search for a title did not provide information as to whether that item is already in my collection. I accidentally cataloged the same title several times and wound up with multiple identical entries.
I chose four diverse DVDs to catalog initially. The first was Alphaville, a French film. The second and third were different editions of Seven Samurai. The fourth was a rare out of print edition of Robocop. I assumed that cataloging and tagging items as “DVD” would be easy because LibraryThing provided form that was adaptable and user-friendly. However, cataloging was quite difficult. I had to create records for two DVDs from scratch and the other two entries had to be rewritten.
The hardest part of cataloging was deciding what information was important to me as a collector. With these four films I decided that it was necessary for their title indicate that they were part of The Criterion Collection, as this series of DVDs is one that I specifically collect. I also wanted to indicate what number was assigned to each DVD by Criterion. I decided that the “Author” field would be for directors, and that I would use the “Other Authors” fields to create “Actors” fields. I then used Amazon, The Internet Movie Database or PittCat to find any extra information I needed. I adapted my “Publication” field format from a PittCat record and stole summaries from IMDB. I also decided that I would use the “Comments” field for information about the original theatrical release, original title, alternate titles, and running time. Cataloging in LibraryThing was difficult but the format is easily adaptable. However, this took quite a while.
I was able to catalog 250 DVDs using DVD Aficionado in the same amount of time that it took me to catalog my comic books and four DVDs in LibraryThing. The difference was remarkable considering how outdated DVD Aficionado looks and how little helpful information is easily provided to get users started. I searched for items either by title or UPC code. A title search would bring up a list of multiple international editions of the same film. I was able to differentiate between them by region number, publisher, special features, or an image of the cover. I found that looking at covers was often the fastest way to catalog as users had made note of very subtle differences in the design of different editions. I knew which edition of Mulholland Drive I had because my copy had a slightly foggy image and this distinction was noted in the item’s description. DVD Aficionado’s search function was often less than helpful. It required at least three characters to conduct a search and counted punctuation. Only exact matches yielded positive results.
I did not have to alter any records, but I found that this could be done. DVD Aficionado also contains a large message board called Film-Talk. It is in this forum that users can request that records be altered, suggest alternate editions of DVDs, and provide scanned images of DVD packaging. The forums are closely monitored and there appears to be a strong sense of community to be found here, despite the cold minimalist appearance of DVD Aficionado. This is also where users can speak directly to the person who runs DVD Aficionado to help guide it with their criticism and suggestions. Paying users are also able to add DVDs to the catalogs, and have more freedom when it comes to editing entries and assigning genres for their own DVDs.
One of the strengths I found in using LibraryThing was that it was easily integrated into other online arenas with little formal computer knowledge. In this way LibraryThing more fully caters to the needs and interests of its users. In just a few minutes I was able to integrate LibraryThing into a blog I had just created. LibraryThing provides an easy and customizable tool for integrating the user’s collection into his or her blog. I designed mine so that it would display the four items that I had tagged with the word “DVD.” Clicking on the item brings the user to my LibraryThing collection.
LibraryThing Blogging Tool
LibraryThing on Facebook.comLibraryThing also created an application for Facebook which allows users to insert a list of recently added tagged books into their Facebook profiles. After creating a LibraryThing account, I was excited to try this application, but I was quickly disappointed. The list that LibraryThing integrates into Facebook profiles only contains 5, 10, or 20 books and does not included any photos. Clicking on the list brings the user to my LibraryThing collection. It does not appear that this application is a priority of LibraryThing considering how much it pales in comparison to Flixter, a movie oriented review site that is not unlike LibraryThing. Flixter is visually appealing, has as many social features as LibraryThing, and is fun to use. Facebook seems as though it should be a good way to gain support for LibraryThing as a collective internet project and let new communities of users catalog books, but this opportunity is not taken advantage of.
Flixter Application in Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment