Idea Sandbox

It’s not as often we Mac folks get a Mac-only application that can make PC users drool… But Delicious Library is one of them.

This catalog software stores a record of your books, DVDs and games
on your Mac. But not just in list form… It shows you the book covers
merchandised on swanky wooden shelves… It’s a neat way to keep track
of what books you own. The latest version (1.5) has been built to
utilize new features of the latest Mac OS “Tiger.”

Here’s how it works…

You enter your book information, either by using the search-by-name
option or by entering the UPC or ISBN number. What’s even cooler, is
that you can also scan your items using a your webcam! (It has built-in
compatibility with the Mac iSight camera).

Simply place the UPC code in front of your camera and an audible
beep indicates your item has been scanned - just like they do at the
grocery store with a barcode reader. The next thing you know, your item
appears on your on-screen book shelf. (This option is a must for those of us with growing book collections).

‘Couple more cool functions… If you loan books out, you simply
drag the book (or DVD or game) icon to their name in your address book,
indicate the due date and it records who borrowed the book and when.
And you can synch your library list on your iPod - pretty cool.

Finally, the feature that made this software worth the $40 purchase… Suggested Reading.

The software is linked to Amazon.com’s database. When you click on a
book on your shelf and choose the SIMILAR option. A display provides a
list of recommended related reading… (Pictured above, this list is to the right of the shelves). It’s an indispensable tool for those who enjoy digging deeper into a topic.

PC users… there is a similar product called ReaderWare, but from the reviews I’ve read it’s not as pretty and you’d need to purchase three different apps to manage books, DVDs and games.

A great tool for bloggers and business folk who want a clever way to
track your library. Read more about the functionality at the Delicious
Monster website.

Enjoy.