Add a book to our Bookshelf

[Tom]

Now that you've joined the group you can review the books in our Bookshelf. It shows up at the bottom of the ORNC Book Group page. These are the books we are reading in the book group and you can also add any books you've read and would like to recommend to others.

Adding a book is easy. Below the Bookshelf books is an Add book link. Simply click on it and use the search box to find books matching your search. The title doesn't have to be exact, just use the major words. This shows a list of books that match your search. Just click the "Add to Group" botton on the line of the book you want to add. That opens a small window to add info about the book. Don't worry about the adding any information on this page. That's the next step.

You may have to refresh the ORNC Book Group page to see your book. At this point anyone can click on it and see any reviews the publisher or any other Goodreads.com members have added in Goodreads.com. This is helpful but I thinks it's nicer if you start an ORNC discussion on it.

To start the discussion you will probably want to give a recommendation or review of the book. This isn't necessary but is really nice. On the ORNC Book Group home page, right below the "Currently Reading" section is the Discussion Board. On the top of this section to the right you will see "Topics: All | New | Unread". Click on the word "New" to open a window for a new discussion group window.

In the new window, put the book title in the Topic box and from the folder box drop down select "Books Added To Bookshelf". Then type your review/recommendation into the comment box. Once you have it fairly well composed hit the "Post" button to see how it will appear. If you want to make corrections, hit the word edit at the bottom of the preview page. This will open an edit window of the text you entered. Use the "Edit Post" button at the bottom top back to preview mode. Once you're satisfied with the way it looks you can hit the words "ORNC Book group discussion" at the top of the page and it will be saved. You can always go in and edit your discussion again later by clicking on it and then the edit button.

I have added a number of books this way and you can read the discussions to think of what I thought of them and to use as an example. If you know the book is available in the Baltimore County Library system (BCPL) please add that info for those of us who would rather borrow then buy.

Now we have a book on the bookshelf and a discussion of it. Anyone can click on the book in the Bookshelf to see what the publisher and general public think of it. Or you can read the discussion topic on the book to see the review/recommendation of the person who added it.

If you have read the book, feel free to add a comment to the discussion of the book. Simply click on the Discussion to see what is already there and add your comment in the comment box at the bottom. It can be as simple as an "I agree, great book" or "I'd like the group top consider reading his book". If you're more ambitious, you can add your own review/recommendation.

Hopefully this will make it easy for use to share what we're reading and enjoying.

If all this seems too complicated and a little scary, you can always email me (33tomfarrell@gmail.com) the book title and your review and I'll add it for you.

[Elizabeth]

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