This may be a question better asked on CMT - but in light of several threads I was wondering what and how others use their RL?  I use it as my "thinking about it list" and of course the "how many books are in the system list".  Those are only 2 of the ways I use it.  How do you use it?  I think I will always want somewhere on PBS to have a "thinking about it list".

Ruth

I only recently started using it when seeing other people talking about it on here. I didn't really know what it was before now.

I use it as books I want that may already be in the system but I'm not ready to put my credits toward. I also do it for books that aren't in the system but ones I'm not sure I'd say "yes I want this" if I came up as #1 on the WL.

I used to use my WL as both my RL and WL which I now realize is wrong! I canceled a lot of orders because I wasn't yet ready for the book when it came up on my WL as available.

I use mine the same way:  to remind me of books that I might want to read but am not sure enough to order yet. Plus to check how many are posted- although I do try to remove those as soon as I know how many there are. You're right, are there any other ways to use it?

I've started putting notes on some of them as well - like if I want a paperback version of a brand new title but the ISBN isn't yet known - to remind me to look for it.

Ruth

Since I usually have all 200 slots in my wishlist filled up, my reminder list is for the overflow.  I try to put books on it that have 0 or only a few people wishing, and then I check it every day to see if any of those books have become available.  I only started doing this a couple of months ago and I've already gotten several books that way.  Of course, the books with longer lines or that I REALLY want I still put on my actual wishlist, but I just keep finding more and more books to add---my reminder list is growing pretty long.

I use it for books I am interested in, to see how many are in the system. Also, I use it to remind me of WL books I have yet to post but am not ready to. I like to see if there are still none in the system, or if there starts to be an abundance in the system, I'd better get on the move and post it. I lost out on posting 2 WL books because I didn't move quickly enough. Now there are 2-3 of each in the system and my book is at the end of the FIFO line now.

I use it for books in my TBR that I want to keep track of how many copies are posted. I put a note that it's on my TBR.

I use it for books that I will probably never want to spend a whole credit on but would get them in a deal or a BOB trade. When I get a BOB offer, I go to their regular bookshelf in another window and do a quick scroll down and see if they have any of my RL books.  Makes replying to a BOB offer a lot faster sometimes if I see the RL notice.  I wish they would make that visible when you're scrolling down their book list under the BOB section.

I use it sometimes for WL books that I know will eventually be heavily posted into PBS and that I'm in no hurry to get.

Sounds like there are some great ideas I hadn't considered.  The wanting to know how many books are in the system does go two ways!   When to get in the market and when to get out!  ;D

Ruth

1) for books that look interesting but I don't have or don't want to use credits on just yet

2) the check how many copies are in the system

3) overflow from my WL. Every time I get an offer on my WL, I go to my RL and fill the spot.

So far I've only used it to keep track of # of books in system on things I've listed, and books of future interest - not WL. I haven't reached the point of wanting 200 books that aren't in the system. If I am considering a WL book with a long WL wait, I go ahead and stick it in my WL while I ponder so I don't get any further behind when I decide. If it moves fast and I get an offer, I accept it!

I'll be very sad to lose the RL if they really do that - I like having a place to stash some "ideas" that may be available but I'm not ready to spend a credit on.

I'll be very sad to lose the RL if they really do that - I like having a place to stash some "ideas" that may be available but I'm not ready to spend a credit on.

I agree with you, Melinda. I do feel the need for something like the RL if not the RL itself.  An unending WL isn't really all that helpful to me.

Ruth

Tracking # of books

Tracking books I want but not ready to buy

tracking books for family members

tracking unpostables

tracking books that are currently ordered but I want more than one copy of (for a class I am co-teaching)

I use my RL as a way to keep track of series (I read a lot of mysteries) and as a way to keep track of books and authors that interest me but that I might not yet be ready to commit to. 

If I hear about a new series, I'll usually WL the first book in the series and then RL the rest of them.  I also tag the subsequent books (1st in series, 2nd in series etc) so I know which one to order next.

Right now I am dealing with a VERY hot WL (I have six books en route to me!) so I've just converted a few books to my RL to conserve credits.  I know I lose my place in line but at least I know where to look when I am ready to spend credits!

I've been tagging my RL books so I can delete them when they do the combined list.  I don't really want to wade through 1000 books.  I think part of the new system will be that a book listing will say how many copies are posted like on SWAPADVD-so that would be nice to not have to put it on RL.  I don't know why they don't have that now-I mean the RL can tell you how many are posted so why can't the actual book listing?

I use it primarily to keep track of books already in the system that "sound interesting" but I'm not quite ready to decide whether to order or not.

I also have the next book in different series that I need to order RL'd--once I read the series book I have on my shelf, I order the next from my RL and then add the following one to the RL (or the WL if it's not available and I have room.)

I also have converted Wish List books that I was the only person wishing for for a long time over to the RL. I have actually caught a couple of books that way, hardcover versions of series I'm collecting. And there's a few other overflow WL books that I was ambivalent about taking up a WL spot.

Before I add books to my shelf, I do put them on the RL to check how many copies are in the system, but I don't leave them on there--after I see how many, I delete it, 'cause it really doesn't matter and there's no way for me know 'where' I am in the scheme of things as time passes anyway.

Mary and LeeAnne--is there a way to block everyone's tags but your own? I have tags blocked right now because I find them terribly annoying but if I could set it just to see mine I might use them.

Cheryl

Hmmm....I can only see my own tags.  When I get other tags I just cancel them until only mine shows.  I don't tag a lot though, just to designate chronology in series.

I use mine for a few types of books.

Books I need to do more research on to see if I want.

Books I did some research on and am still on the fence about.

Books that are on subjects I'm not currently reading, but history says I will go back to in the future.  I don't want them on my WL b/c it could be a couple years, but I I do want to keep track of the books since they sound very interesting--if only I was interested in reading them right now.

Books that don't fit on my WL.

I try to keep the to-be-WL'd books tagged so it's fast to move them over and I know why they are on my RL.  Same thing with books that are to-be-WL-when-interested-again.

The others I sit down every now and then and go read up on the books & check out reviews to see if I really want them.  Then I order them, tag them, or delete them (often with a note stuck on saying I already looked it up and don't want, before it ends up back on my RL!).   My RL gets much shorter after that.  I try to minimize the "looked into it, still debating" ones. 

I've always been boggled at people posting for deals on their RL.  Even among those that I'm just wanting to look up more info or considering if they are worth a full credit, almost none are in the library.  I think I have 80ish on my RL right now, and maybe 10 are in the system.

I use mine to see how many books are in the system and if there are too many I don't post the books.  I also use it to see how my BL is or is not moving.  If a book isn't moving I remove it also. 

Like someone else said I don't have any need for an unlimited WL.  Pat

I don't tag books often - only when I come across some info that might be useful to others - like when there is another ISBN that isn't lited on the book's listing page.  Today I just realized that a book I bought has an ISBN that is treated by Amazon as another ISBN for the same title - same HC.  There is no paperback version - yet.  I found both ISBN's here and used them on Amazon and they both went to exactly the same book with only one ISBN. So really - there are 2 WL (long ones) for only one book that is available.  I do put that in a tag on both pages - it might help someone.  I also appreciate it when someone puts tags about what books are which in order in a series.  I don't always find the first one, and it can get confusing.  I never turn off anyone's tags.  It doesn't annoy me.

I'm dreading going through my RL to note the ones I don't want on a WL.  Just in case.  like when I had to wade through hundreds of books rating them so they'd be put on my BIR.  I was annoyed by that.  Hoping to avoid that in the future.  I find the RL so useful that I can't think of anything else to replace it with.  It's going to be like losing an arm ( or sort of) if it goes.  I realize that it might be a drain on the system - but I'm not computer literate (don't really want to be) and I like everything right here on the site that I need to use.  I think I'm going to designate some way common book to be the bearers of notes about other things - like other members' shelves I'm interested in looking at again or people I don't want to deal with again.  I already have a book in each series designated to have the note with the list of the books in that series that I know of and in which order they go.  That's a lot to put on a note.  I need my RL!!!

Ruth

1. Books I want but am not sure I have enough credits yet (I make sure I have at least 20 for wish list items)

2. TBR to check how many are in the system

3. Watch number in system of books I really want and will order when the stock gets below 5. This also saves my credits till they are really needed

4. Box of books. I get most of my RL books through boxes. I get them 3 or 4 at a time as I can find boxers who have them. another big credit saver for wish list books.

If you really want to save the RL like I do, email the "Contact Us" at the bottom. I did and they will (I hope) listen to us, their customers.

When you use that little R to cancel the other tags-it might delete them permanately for the person who made them. So be careful doing that. 

I personally don't even really see the tags anymore unless there's a whole lot of them on 1 books.  I think the tagging has gotten a little out of control. I don't see the need to tag books with the author's name and the book title like some are. The tagging is insane on some books. I also don't see the reason people tag their place in the WL line since that changes a lot and you can just pull up your WL and check your place.

When is PBS planning to remove the Reminder List feature?

They haven't said when, Valerie.

SSHHH!!  Let's just talk about how great the RL is.  We need positive thoughts going out on this!  ;D

Ruth

If they don't make a new feature to replace the reminder list, I'll probably use my TBR list. I can make a physical stack of books in my house that are to be read (assuming that's the only thing people use the TBR list for), but I can't make a stack of books in the house that I might consider getting.

Right now I use my TBR list to keep track of all the books I want to check out from the library, so there's already some overlap between the two lists anyway. I hope that you can see how many copies are in the system on the TBR list before they get rid of the RL.