When you search for a book on LibraryThing.com, you can search many different online databases, including Amazon and the Library of Congress. If the book you are looking to add has an ISBN, there is a good chance you can find it in one or more of the databases. However, a lot of books can’t be found online, so you’ll have to add them manually if you want to include them in your LibraryThing library.
You’ll be taken to the next page, where you can input the book’s details. “Title” is the only field that you have to fill out, but if you have more information about the book, you can add as much as you want. Book descriptions on LibraryThing can be fairly specific – you can add publisher information, a plot summary, and even any tags that will help to classify the book. If you’ve already read the book, you can also add your review or rating on this page.
When you add a book manually, by default it is set to be added to your library. You have to add it to at least one of your collections, but you can choose which one – your wishlist, to-read list, favorites, etc. If you have a custom collection set up, you can add it to that one instead.
Once you click Save at the bottom of the page, the book will be created and added to whichever collection(s) you specified. If you want to edit anything about the book (for example, if you want to add a cover image) you can click the pencil icon next to the book in your library and change whatever details you want.