I am a self confessed bibliophile, and hold great store in the ever growing collection of books I have compiled in what passes for the library at home.

For me, there’s something special about a physical, tangible book.  The feel of it in your hands, the sensation as you turn the pages, the smell, and of course, the visible appeal of being able to see your collection are all things that are difficult to replicate in digital form.

And so, despite being a lover of technology in so many ways, I have thus far resisted the urge to transfer my book collection to digital form.

Making the digital shift easy

Should I ever wish to make that shift, a new mobile app may be something of a godsend.  The app, called Shelfie, aims to enable users to obtain either free or discounted e-versions of their existing book collection.

Using the app appears straightforward, with each user required to post a profile on the site.  They can then photograph their book collection and attach the image to their account.

The app then mines its database to determine which of the volumes are available for free, before adding any that are to the account of the user.

The makers claim to have over 100,000 titles available in this way already, with more added all the time via partnerships with publishers.

Any ebook attached to the account can be read on any device, whilst the app also has a social element to it that allows users to gain recommendations on books from their connections.

It’s certainly an interesting approach, and whilst I’m not sure it’s quite enough to convert me to digital, should I ever make the switch, it will quite possibly be my first port of call.