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Shelfari

Literary Content Community

Published on 02/05/2009

Rated 4 out of 5 stars by AppAppeal Editor

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What can you use the app for?

Shelfari is an online application which is designed to put book lovers all around the world in touch with one another. Shelfari is based in Seattle and currently owned by Amazon. Book lovers can all contact one another and share information about the books. Shelfari isn’t just a place for readers to go to share their love of books; it’s also popular with authors, publishers, and wannabe authors. Readers can be connected with one another so that you can find people with similar interests as yourself. Shelfari makes it easy to build your own bookshelf so that you can list all of the books that you have and start sharing your book choices with other people all around the world. This makes it really easy to find books that are popular with your friends, and you can also discuss book choices with your contacts.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

The Shelfari website was launched to the public at the end of 2006; this site was then purchased by Amazon in the middle of 2008. The site is very popular and can be viewed in all of the popular browsers although they recommend Firefox or Safari. The site can also be accessed on your mobile phone easily which is extremely useful if you have a data plan and want to access your catalog on the move. The Shelfari website is based in Seattle and makes it easy for book lovers to get in touch with one another.

What are the differences to other apps?

There are a fair number of these online book group websites on the internet, the difference with this one is that this one is now owned by Amazon. As of 2008 Amazon purchased this site from the original creators. This site also offers some unique features and is completely free for everyone that wants to use it.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Using Shelfari is very easy, the design is very clean and you won’t have a problem finding your way around. There is a tutorial that talks you through the basic processes to add a book to your catalog among many others. Registering is easy, and nothing gets any more complicated than that. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the website and you won’t have any problems.

How does the registration process work?

Signing up for a Shelfari account is very easy, you just need to fill out the form with your name, email address, and also choose a password. Shelfari makes it easy to add contacts as it connects to a number of different email sites including Gmail. All friends that already have shelfari accounts will be displayed, it’s also possible to tell people about the website if they don’t already use it. Once you have completed registration you will be sent a confirmation email that you have to click a link in to activate your account.

What does it cost to use the application?

It’s completely free to use shelfari and there are adverts at the bottom of every single page. These don’t get in the way although they are noticeable. As it’s an Amazon company it’s reasonable to guess that they will also make money by directing people to the main Amazon website.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Shelfari is ideal for anyone that loves books and wants to find away to interact with other book lovers all around the world. It’s like an online book club which makes it easy to find people that are reading similar books to yourself. This is the perfect application for anyone that wants to enjoy books as much as they possibly can.

Shelfari Features