Own Hands Story Search

What is it?

Currently in development, Own Hands Story Search is an open-source, crowdsourced search tool for fiction titles. It uses tried-and-true technology to put search back into your own hands. Simply put, advanced search fields let you pick precise story characteristics. The goal is to deliver specific results tailored to what you want to read (view, play, etc.).

The project is currently being developed by Arwen Spicer (PhD in English literature, MLIS) and Glenn Peters (web developer).

Why do we need it?

Have you ever felt like you’re seeing the same “top 10” titles over and over? Are you tired of “also purchased” or “similar to” recommendations that don’t reflect why you bought a book? Have all the book blurbs started to sound the same?

That’s largely because our fiction search tools suck.

We can search by genre keywords, lists and recs other people curate, or backend algorithms guessing what is similar to what. These are all crude instruments.

More books are being published than ever before, but, too often, only a handful of titles get seen. Readers can’t find the niche they’re itching for. Writers can’t connect with their target readers. Publishers don’t dare publish works that aren’t a sure-fire hit with a built-in readership. The result is more and more of what feels like less and less. Now, here’s AI to tell you what you want. With Own Hands Story Search, you tell the search what you want.

How does it work?

Own Hands Story Search uses the same technology as advanced searches in non-fiction databases or fan-fic searches like An Archive of Our Own. Each title is catalogued to be searchable by several different characteristics. These can include traditional keyword searches, like “hard science fiction,” “cozy mystery,” or “Afrofuturism.” But they can also go beyond these broad containers to include types of plot and character arc, character relationships, themes, and more.

Include or exclude as many categories as you want. Search results will return only what you ask for. If it’s too few titles, you can broaden your search, too many and you can narrow it.

Of course, categorizing fiction involves a lot of judgment calls. A question as simple as “How many protagonists are there?” can produce different responses for single work. That’s why Own Hands Fiction Search is designed to be crowdsourced. The more people who categorize a work, the more likely the results will match what most searchers want. It will never be an exact science, but it doesn’t have to be to provide a tailored list of titles for you to explore.

Empowering Readers, Writers, and Publishers

Own Hands Fiction Search is part of a transition to a more just and sustainable economy. It’s designed as a free, open-source project in the spirit of digital commons like Wikipedia. Users will be free to create their own instances with pre-designed categories, categories they create, or a combination of both. Reading groups, libraries, writers’ societies, publishers, bookstores: all are welcome to implement Own Hands Fiction Search tailored to their community.

How did the Own Hands start and what’s its current status?

Own Hands Story Search began as a research paper Arwen wrote for her master’s in library and information science, including basic design and wireframe. “We don’t need this,” her professor told her. “There are already fiction searches.”

So she let the idea rest, but as the years went by and her frustrations as a reader grew, she realized, yes, we do need it. The fiction search tools we have are just not good enough, and the more books that enter the market, the less those tools can cope.

Then, she got involved in just and sustainable economics and realized that Own Hands belongs in the digital commons movement: providing online resources created and maintained by the community for the common good. So she teamed up with her web developer partner, Glenn, to make it happen.

Own Hands runs on what users want, so at this stage, we are gathering information about what you want to search for. Based on your responses, we will design a trial search. Our first forays will be into general fiction (broad categories for all genres) and science fiction.