diff --git a/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py b/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
index 8acfb147..0233ee3d 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ class Importer:
         "date_finished": ["date finished", "last date read", "date read", "finished"],
     }
     date_fields = ["date_added", "date_started", "date_finished"]
+    shelf_mapping_guesses = {
+        "to-read": ["to-read"],
+        "read": ["read"],
+        "reading": ["currently-reading", "reading"],
+    }
 
     def create_job(self, user, csv_file, include_reviews, privacy):
         """check over a csv and creates a database entry for the job"""
@@ -66,8 +71,15 @@ class Importer:
     def create_item(self, job, index, data):
         """creates and saves an import item"""
         normalized = self.normalize_row(data, job.mappings)
+        normalized["shelf"] = self.get_shelf(normalized)
         ImportItem(job=job, index=index, data=data, normalized_data=normalized).save()
 
+    def get_shelf(self, normalized_row):
+        """determine which shelf to use"""
+        shelf_name = normalized_row["shelf"]
+        shelf = [s for (s, gs) in self.shelf_mapping_guesses if shelf_name in gs]
+        return shelf[0] if shelf else None
+
     def normalize_row(self, entry, mappings):  # pylint: disable=no-self-use
         """use the dataclass to create the formatted row of data"""
         return {k: entry.get(v) for k, v in mappings.items()}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/importers/librarything_import.py b/bookwyrm/importers/librarything_import.py
index 12d841e9..d6426de6 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/importers/librarything_import.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/importers/librarything_import.py
@@ -17,3 +17,10 @@ class LibrarythingImporter(Importer):
             date = normalized[date_field]
             normalized[date_field] = re.sub(r"\[|\]", "", date)
         return normalized
+
+    def get_shelf(self, normalized_row):
+        if normalized_row["date_finished"]:
+            return "read"
+        if normalized_row["date_started"]:
+            return "reading"
+        return "to-read"
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/importers/test_librarything_import.py b/bookwyrm/tests/importers/test_librarything_import.py
index aa52e2f1..e9352896 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/importers/test_librarything_import.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/importers/test_librarything_import.py
@@ -172,6 +172,6 @@ class LibrarythingImport(TestCase):
             )
         review = models.Review.objects.get(book=self.book, user=self.local_user)
         self.assertEqual(review.content, "chef d'oeuvre")
-        self.assertEqual(review.rating, 5)
+        self.assertEqual(review.rating, 4.5)
         self.assertEqual(review.published_date, make_date(2007, 5, 8))
         self.assertEqual(review.privacy, "unlisted")