Internet social networking is rapidly changing how friends interact. No matter where your friends go, Facebook allows you to lean across the virtual fencepost into their backyards, to watch their lives take shape and their children grow. Netflix will tell you which movies they hated, Pogo provides a game night no matter how far apart you live, and the shared minutiae of Stumbleupon.com gives you an endless assortment of instant message conversation starters.

Another quick growing trend of a digital society is the online “social cataloging" of books. Similar to a wide-scope book club, online book cataloging sites seek to enhance the reading experience.

The most popular sites, Librarything and Goodreads, both offer the same basic services. Participants compile and rate lists of all the books they have read or want to read, creating a never-ending virtual bookshelf. As with most online social networks, friends compel friends to join up. They can see each other's books, read their friends' (and strangers') reviews, comment and share. Librarything is prized for its tech-savvy interface, while Goodreads is generally considered the easiest to use. Among the perks, sites may hold contests, awarding prizes of Advanced Reviewer’s Copies of up-and-coming books. Also, authors have been known to interact with reviewers on the sites, in some cases going so far as to explain plot to confused readers.

The sites are about more than just friends comparing book lists. They subtly cater to the idiosyncrasies of readers. Categorization, accumulation, ratings, and reviews all appeal to the nature of a booklover. Local user Kari R. said, “I use it because I love lists. I have many lists of books stuck in a folder in my filing cabinet that I never actually look at but feel the need to keep. Goodreads keeps my lists in one place, continuously compiling, and is easy to browse.”

Kathy C. is a Salem-area teacher who uses book cataloging sites for both recreation and as an educational format. She said, “I use it as a teaching tool - I have two [online book] groups, one for a student book club and one for my advanced literature class. It's a good way to get kids using technology and books.”

One of the most-loved features of these Web sites is how they have changed the process of finding new books. In her over 30-year service to the Salem Public Library, Robin Beerbower has become a local literary landmark.

Before new books come to mass print, Robin has already read, reviewed, and likely recommended them to patrons of specific tastes. Before online book clubs, Robin would email her reviews to over 100 individual subscribers. Then came Goodreads. Robin said, “[The email reviews] grew kind of onerous and I was tired of keeping track of returned emails and such. I discovered that those who wanted to be my "friend" [on Goodreads] could receive my updates and I didn't have to worry about sending personal emails to the contact list. It seems easier to write a quick review or make comments on Goodreads and the site automatically sends the updates.”

These create a modern version of a traditional word-of-mouth underground. A book that interested you will show up on the feeds of your friends, and one click provides a back-flap description. In this manner a book by a previously unknown author can have a following of hundreds, months before it is even published. But of all the advantages online book catalogs provide, most users agree that the greatest is having one more way to share a quiet moment with friends in a frenzied world.