Are you looking for a change of pace this holiday season? How about some reading? Now I’m sure you are all trying to fill up your progress bars on Goodreads, but here’s a challenge: Read a book you have never heard of before!
This might not be the best time to go to a bookstore or library, but as you have probably heard, the Internet Archive is a great virtual library in its own right. Only sometimes browsing books on the Internet Archive can be a real chore, just try finding a good fiction book, what a nightmare! So in an attempt to emulate the wonder and joy of browsing through the rows and shelves of a real library, the Internet Archive has recently introduced the Open Library Explorer.
Not only is the OLE more visually pleasing, not only is the OLE easier to navigate but the OLE is also very customizable. Want to travel through time? You can apply filters to ensure all books are from a specific time period. Want to rearrange the categories? You can switch between Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification with the push of a button. You can even switch the book layout to replace the front covers with splines for added realism. But don’t take my word for it, watch this guide made by Drini Cadini, the head developer of the OLE!
Drini Cami is a Computer Science undergraduate at the University of Waterloo, interested in Human-Computer Interaction. Drini himself is an avid book-reader, funny enough. I can imagine this is a project he’s deeply invested in.
Then what are you waiting for? Go on and Explore the Open Library for yourself! As for me, I will be reading Find it Fast, readers who know me personally are more than familiar with my obsession to go out of my way to hunt down the most bizarre trivia, here’s hoping this will help me hone my craft!
Have some good fun, watch yourself and Happy Hollidays to all!
