EL PAÍS launches Librotea, the new book recommendation platform

EL PAÍS has launched Librotea, the new online book recommendation platform, that allows readers to share their literary recommendations, as well as discover the favorites of leading writers, literary critics, essayists, bloggers and other figures from film, music and the visual arts.

Librotea (librotea.com) puts the figure of the bookseller centre stage, after having been sidelined in recent years by technologies and new reading habits. It was decided to give Librotea a feminine name because women read more than men, according to the Cultural Statistics Yearbook 2015 published by the Ministry of Culture.  What’s more, in recent years female writers are increasingly topping the bestseller lists and the publishing industry is witnessing an ever greater female presence, especially among the ranks of librarians, booksellers and bloggers who recommend books professionally in Spain.

Readers can set up an online profile for free and then create their own shelves, which they can show to and share with other users. They can also follow other readers, share their shelves via social media, buy recommended books and create a wish list that will come in handy for friends when it’s time to buy gifts. Users will be encouraged to have an active profile, and will be able to critique and discuss the books they have read.

Expert recommendations

What really sets Librotea apart from other such platforms, however, are the recommendations by experts. Most sites that recommend books use complex algorithms but at Librotea, recommendations are provided by experts, writers, critics and the users of the service who can form their own community of followers. In addition, Librotea links to book reviews published in EL PAÍS.

Librotea is a virtual showcase of the best literary works, a new way to find books using  traditional word of mouth while taking full advantage of new technologies, reaching more people all over the world.