I just joined today, and am curious what the different "Lists" do?  Are these lists that only I can see?  Can others see them?  Why do I want to use one list over another?

For example:  how does my Wish List differ from my Reminder List; or from the TBR list;  or from the Tags list? 

Thank you in advance!!  :)

I can answer some of your questions but some I am still learning!

Your wish list is for books that no one has posted to their shelves on here.  If you see a book you want & you're not able to order it, then you can post it to your "Wish List" & when the book gets posted, you may order it (first come, first serve-- if you are 20th in line, then 19 people ahead of you will have the chance to get the book first).

Reminder list is good to help you see how many people have a book listed on here.  It will tell you how many available copies there are of each.

The tags-- I am not sure.  I haven't figured that out either!

TBR is for the books you have (or want to have) that you want to read.  I have learned the TBR list is good to see if anything you have is a wish list book for someone else.

There is a difference between your wish list & reminder list.  Wish list puts you in line to get a chance to order the book when it becomes available.  The reminder list does NOT do that.

You can make your Wish List private OR public. I'm not sure if your reminder list can be hidden or seen??? I am still learning my way around too!

Kelly,

 Welcome to PBS,  okay hope I do this right.

Others can see your bookshelf and your wishlist . The only way they can see you reminder list is if you post a link to it

Wish list is for books that have not yet been released or books that have been released recently and are not on anyone's bookshelf. ( good place to find these are in the love and romance section of the forum)

Reminder list are books that you have seen on someones shelf but don't want to get them right now you can put them on you reminder list so you don't forget about them.

I sure hope I explained that okay and you understand it

Good job Amber! You did really well for how new you are!

As Amber said, the Wish List is to let you get in line for books that aren't currently available in the system. So, you're fairly certain you really want the book, so you get in line for a copy. By changing your privacy settings, you can change whether other members can view it.

Your Reminder List is for books that you may want to get at some point in the future and want to remember. It doesn't reserve you a place in line for a book not available. It's also useful for seeing how many copies of a book are in the system, which can help you in knowing what to request, since if a book has 100+ copies, you'll know you can wait, but if there's just one or two copies, you'll know it might be a good idea to request it fast. Your Reminder List is also always private. The only way others can see it is if you do something like tagging all the books or creating a new Book List on your profile.

The TBR (To Be Read) Pile is basically for books you actually currently have available to read but haven't read yet, though you can use it however you wish. It's a useful way to see at a glance what is wish listed here and what isn't, if you want to prioritize your reading. It's also private and only viewable by you.

The BIR (Books I've Read) List is all the books you gave a rating to in the PBS system, while your Book Reviews list is all the books you posted a review for in the system here. Your ratings are private. Your book reviews are normally public, but you can change this in your privacy settings to make them private.

The My Tags list is so that you can keep track of tags you used on books. Tags allow you to categorize books, and are publically viewable, and let you view all the books with that tag in a easy list. You can do personal or general tags. The only thing you are NOT allowed to do is use inappropriate tags. So, you can't tag books based on their condition in your personal inventory. 'unpostable', for instance, is NOT an appropriate tag. Nothing that applies only to one specific copy of the book. For that, you should add a Note.

The Reminders List can be for anything you want it to be for. I have some books there that I'd like to order some time, maybe, or maybe not. Some books are books that I might want to post to my bookshelf someday, or maybe not. Some are there because I like to keep track of how many copies are in the system. It's a good holding place for books. Some books, I don't remember why they're there. :)

Thank you, Tiffany! I am trying to learn!

Welcome to PBS Kelly!   Good answers above, feel free to ask regarding anything you don't understand.

For the longest time I thought "TBR" meant "to be reposted" and that is how I use this list.  I keep everything on here that I have received, and can tell at glance if someone is wishing for something.  I have many times read a book before I was originally planning to, because someone else was waiting for it.    I've not used the "books I've read" list much, but I think it's used by the system to generate suggestions when you use the suggestions feature.

After I finish a book, I always give it a star rating and that automatically adds it to my BIR (books I've read) list. I like this feature because it's saved me from ordering a book I've already read. I may not remember I've read it til I get it and start reading it. I hate when that happens.

Glenda