Library Improvements

The Library is one area of L4 that I frequently wished for improvements. Here are some suggestions that I came up with today:

The ability to mark books as "read."
A place to put short "book notes" - perhaps even a book review. I would see this being placed in the resource info panel.
Drop down boxes for "My Tags" to eliminate creating duplicates by misspelling and to remind you of the categories you have created.

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Comments

toughski

Thank you for bringing this issue up again. Library improvements have been discussed before. I could search and post links here, but I gave up (on trying to voice my concerns and provide LOGOS with constructive feedback) - seems that they are busy chasing other (peripheral in my opinion) projects (which they have absolute right to chase).

I rarely buy anything from Logos anymore, although I do enjoy the freebies Vyrso sends our way.

Room4more

1)could lead to some form of a tracking cookie, or else we would be constantly comparing our current resources against the emails we receive for pp’, cp’s, discounts, etc.,etc..[marking it 'read' would mean that I would not be interested in rec'ving a discount on what I already have]

2)is interesting enough to merit further discourse on how this would be indoctrinated into the current system. Would it for personal usage or for general populous? The resource info panel would be a good place, but then how about the maintenance when an update to the resource is initiated?

3)needs a little bit more clarity, I do not really use ‘my tags’ much anymore…..

Ron

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361742#Comment_361742

1)could lead to some form of a tracking cookie, or else we would be constantly comparing our current resources against the emails we receive for pp’, cp’s, discounts, etc.,etc..[marking it 'read' would mean that I would not be interested in rec'ving a discount on what I already have]

Huh?? Sorry if I'm misunderstanding you, but how is having a field in the library for the purpose of marking which books we have read going to lead to a tracking cookie?

Room4more

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361745#Comment_361745

Ron,

1)the telemarketeer keeps calling even tho you told him you are not interested, you already have one.

So if I read a book, make a review[personal or public] and mark it that I have read it and commented, I really do not want to recieve a discount on it later, but then I like getting the pp's and cp'ing notices.....

cookie routine:

<verify: true/false>

LaRosa Johnson

[y]

JT (alabama24)

FYI - None of my suggestions are intended to be for "public" consumption. Let me explain my thoughts just a little more:

The ability to mark as "read" could be useful for many reasons. If you wanted to find a new book, or find one you have already read, a "marked read" field could be useful. If the library was truly useful ([:P]) then you could find all of your books on discipleship, and quickly filter out only the ones you have not read yet. This isn't possible now, but would be a helpful addition.
My idea for "book notes" can be as simple as what I used to do with when using library books for a research paper. I would often skim the book, gaining an idea for the book. I would often put a sticky note on the cover with a couple of comments to assist me down the road. If a book was a gold mine, I wanted to be reminded. If a book was mostly a waste of time, I wanted to know that too. Some users might want to add longer book reviews, but that would not be particularly useful to me. I could see that an academic might find that useful (i.e. when a professor is asked about a book in his library, it would be easy to send off the book review to his student). My primary desire would be for me to create a short notes to remind me about the book. I would like to see this in both the library and in the resource under its resource info panel.
MyTags should have a drop down box so that previously created categories are easily accessible.

I will add another new one to the list… It would be great to have subcategories. For example, I have tags for Men, Women, Parenting, and Marriage. I also have one for "Family." In my scheme, all of the first four categories fit underneath the tag topic of "Family." It would be great if I added a "Marriage" tag, that it would automatically be given a "Family" tag too. I would consider this "smart tags."

Room4more

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361754#Comment_361754

FYI - None of my suggestions are intended to be for "public" consumption. Let me explain my thoughts just a little more:

1)-

2)has merit. Define how this would be accomplished in regards to updates. [As with my un-orthodox way of keeping note(files), I have a *.doc that has a bit of personal writ for current resources of multiple bib-software I currently have]

3)-

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361756#Comment_361756

Define how this would be accomplished in regards to updates.

I'm sorry R4M, I have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps a mock up screen shot would help clarify things:

fgh

The Library is one area of L4 that I frequently wished for improvements.

[Y][Y][Y][Y][Y]

The ability to mark books as "read."

Easy enough to do with a mytag, hence extremely low priority for me.

A place to put short "book notes" - perhaps even a book review. I would see this being placed in the resource info panel.

Drop down boxes for "My Tags" to eliminate creating duplicates by misspelling and to remind you of the categories you have created.

[Y] I'm sure I've read a thread about this at some time, probably quite a while ago now. You could add a comment to Uservoice's Provide management of mytags.

Other Library suggestions that comes to mind:

SUGGESTION: Wider Library find box

An endless number of threads about easier hiding of resources.

Ability to filter the library by collections

Library column for indexes (several threads, but I'm too lazy to search for them right now).

Suggestion: Library column grouping that is similar to Morph Search Analysis

Add a "Preview Mode" in Library (like in various email programs)

And then there's one of mine that I really wanted to add here, but I can't seem to find it right now. [:(]

I also really would like the page count in the info panel (and page numbers in the TOC). I don't remember if there's been any formal suggestion made for that, though I know it's been talked about at times.

Room4more

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361765#Comment_361765

Define how this would be accomplished in regards to updates.

I'm sorry R4M, I have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps a mock up screen shot would help clarify things:

Alabama24, I understand what you are asking, but I do not know how to make it any clearer:

What are your suggestion towards, securing your note/review when they do an update of that resource? What are your suggestions to securing this information? Usually an update of any resource always updates this[resource information] portion as well…..

I know it sounds difficult, but why go thru the trouble if the note is not secure? Your suggestion is creditable and I like the idea...........but I still am concerned with the note/review I will create.........( or would you rather that we not concern ourselves with the developement of it?)

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361842#Comment_361842

What are your suggestion towards, securing your note/review when they do an update of that resource? What are your suggestions to securing this information? Usually an update of any resource always updates this[resource information] portion as well…..

I think I understand now… You are saying that Logos updates the data in that section, and you are worried that it might get deleted? Right?

I am not a programmer, and I don't play one on TV. [:P] With that said, I don't know why they couldn't create something like what I am asking that wouldn't disappear when the file is updated. (Actually, I want another file attached to each resource… a resource specific note file for highlights & notes, but that is another topic altogether). After all, when resource "x" is updated, the other note files you have don't disappear.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361842#Comment_361842

What are your suggestion towards, securing your note/review when they do an update of that resource? What are your suggestions to securing this information? Usually an update of any resource always updates this[resource information] portion as well…..

Wonder if Logos developers could reuse similar mechanism as mytags ?

When Logos updates resource(s) in Logos 4, corresponding my tag content for those resource(s) is kept.

A place to put short "book notes" - perhaps even a book review. I would see this being placed in the resource info panel.

Also suggested in Add a user-editable description field in Library and Add a personal note to a book appearing in "resource information".

+1 [Y] Personally would like a field for my Library annotation, which is similar to mytags, but does not have the automatic collection creation associated with mytags.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Johann

Being a new user of Logos, I find that the Library is one of the least intuitive parts of the software. Thanks to this thread figured out My Tags. (So thanks everyone for bringing it to my attention!) This will definitely help me find my stuff quicker. I just made tags for: fav, read, reading.

In my newbie opinion this takes care of (as someone already stated) the ability to mark books as read.

It would make tremendous sense to have auto-complete for previously used tags.

Would like to see a the product information capped at a certain length with a "More" button to see it all. This way it would put the rating, tags, publishing info on screen and not needing to scroll down. Having my notes on a book in this place would probably be more helpful than the publishers description, IMHO.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361925#Comment_361925

Would like to see a the product information capped at a certain length with a "More" button to see it all. This way it would put the rating, tags, publishing info on screen and not needing to scroll down. Having my notes on a book in this place would probably be more helpful than the publishers description, IMHO.

[Y]

It would make tremendous sense to have auto-complete for previously used tags.

Yes… but the auto complete should be in the area where you create new tags. I still want a drop down box, which will assist the user to remember which categories she/he has created.

In my newbie opinion this takes care of (as someone already stated) the ability to mark books as read.

It could be used this way, yes. It is not as intuitive, though, in my opinion. Additionally, this makes it harder for the end user to filter. For example: how does one show a list of unread books which have the MyTag:Family and MyTag:Theology tags applied? [Can you use an AND with an ANDNOT? Even if you CAN, this is not easy or intuitive for the user. Searching your Library should be one of the easiest and most basic functions of the software (my new life motto [:)]).]

Donnie Hale

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361937#Comment_361937

I agree with these suggestions for the library. A few others that have been mentioned before but which I didn't see in this thread:

- The information available for an individual book within the library (i.e. when only a single book is highlighted) should be the same as the information for that book when it is open and the "Information" pane is being viewed. It seems to me it would have been more work to make two different information views for a book than a single one which is the union of what's displayed in the two information views now.

- We should be able to manage "My Collections" with the library view. Maybe it could stay under "Tools", too. But logically it seems much more natural to have it in the library.

- Ability to sort on multiple columns.

Maybe some ambitious forum member could create a User Voice feature request for all the library enhancements we'd like to see, much like was done for Notes.

Donnie

Johann

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361937#Comment_361937

For example: how does one show a list of unread books which have the MyTag:Family and MyTag:Theology tags applied?

Ok, so I didn't think of that situation ... On the other hand, don't think the results for me "mytag:family AND theology ANDNOT read" (I think you can use this, btw) would ever be shorter than without the "ANDNOT read". [^o)]

Personally, I don't find anything about sorting the library with things like "mytag" is intuitive, but it is good to know!

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/362005#Comment_362005

I don't find anything about sorting the library with things like "mytag" is intuitive

[:)] Yep.

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/361937#Comment_361937

how does one show a list of unread books which have the MyTag:Family and MyTag:Theology tags applied?

mytag:family mytag:theology -mytag:read

If the tag happened to be more unique, like DogmTheol, you could skip the mytag: part.

Some weeks ago when I got really tired of the clutter in Library I made a collection with the rule * -perseus -series:(cal,earliest,dead) -type:(bible,apparatus,clause,cross,dictionary,grammar,harmony,lectionary,lexicon,media,timeline) -lang:(greek,hebrew,latin) -rating:1 -mytag:hidden, which I intend to use instead of Entire library for most future searches (I gave it a name starting with 0, so that it would show at the top of the list). It is also fairly quick to copy the rule and paste it in the Library find box, which, in my case, gets rid of about 3,000 resources, and makes it considerably easier to find things. (If SUGGESTION: Adjustable size for the upper section in Collections was implemented, I could look directly in the Collection tab.) As need arises I can reduce the number even further by removing rating 2 as well, or adding e g -type:journal or -type:"bible commentary" (though at that point it might be easier to use a simple type:monograph filter instead, since that's probably what I want anyway).

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/362017#Comment_362017

I made a collection with the rule * -perseus -series:(cal,earliest,dead) -type:(bible,apparatus,clause,cross,dictionary,grammar,harmony,lectionary,lexicon,media,timeline) -lang:(greek,hebrew,latin) -rating:1 -mytag:hidden, which I intend to use instead of Entire library

fgh, I find that using an asterisk wildcard is really slow, and I wouldn't suggest using it in collections. I use rating:>=0 instead. With my library, it takes about 4 seconds for a rule with an asterisk to do its work, whereas rules based on rating:>=0 are instantaneous. (Of course this would be moot if Logos would make negative rules work by themselves)

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/362022#Comment_362022

Very good point, Todd -- though in this particular case rating:>1 will do the job better, since I intend to exclude the rating:1's anyway, and don't generally keep any rating:0's around for more than a day or so.