Do you love reading and can't get enough of books? That's wonderful, because there's no better way to immerse yourself in foreign worlds than with a book. But do you know exactly how many and which books you own right away? And where which book is currently located? If not, there is the perfect solution, because with the right apps you can catalog your books - easily, quickly and without much effort.
In this article, you'll learn about the decisive advantages, which apps specifically help you catalog your books, and the best tips for sensibly managing your own book collection.
Cataloging books - why do it at all?
The question of whether and how useful it is to catalog your books depends primarily on how large your private book collection is. If you can count your books on two hands, you certainly don't need a digital organizer. However, as soon as your book consumption starts to move in the direction of bookworm, there are several arguments in favor of cataloging books:
Cataloging your books provides clarity
The more books you own, the more difficult it is to keep track of them all. It can happen that one or two books are bought twice. If you have your books listed properly, you can avoid such duplicate purchases. Cataloging books also helps you to keep track of books that have been lent or borrowed and not to forget to return them.
You have more than one bookshelf and the locations of your books are spread over several rooms? Then it is also very helpful to catalog the books. With the right book app, you know exactly which book is where and don't have to search for it when you need it quickly.
Cataloging books © Viktoriia / Adobe Stock
You can easily keep book wish lists
You can never have enough books. But what was the name of that one work you heard about the other day? It's good to have a digital wish list of the books you're dying to read. That's also perfectly solved with a book app that helps you catalog your books. Plus, a wishlist is a great way to help friends and family choose gifts at birthday time.
Cataloging books promotes exchange
Even if you usually read on your own, sharing books with like-minded people is a must for many bookworms. A library app for cataloging books can also help here. Many apps now also include a forum function that makes it easy to exchange ideas with other book fans.
Who has read the thickest book? And who has devoured the most books? In addition to the possibility of cataloging books and exchanging ideas with each other, many book apps also offer various reading challenges in their forums, in which anyone from the community can participate.
You keep statistics better when you have all the facts at a glance
If you not only want to catalog your books, but also want to record how many books you have read in which period of time, how long the average reading time is and which books you have not finished, you can also do this using a book app. Most library apps offer various statistics functions that provide readers with detailed information on their book consumption.
These are the ways to catalog books
Have you decided that you want to catalog your books? Now it's time to find the right method. The "old-school" variant with a notebook and handwritten list is an option. The disadvantage of this, however, is that you can record your books this way, but nothing more. This is because a notebook offers you neither automatic search functions, statistics nor the option of networking with others. You also have to enter each work manually and it is difficult to change the list later.
It is similar if you organize your books using Excel
or Google Sheets. Here you also have to enter each individual title and the associated information yourself. That takes a lot of time. Automation, networking and statistics? They don't exist there either.
If you want to catalog, organize and manage your books in a meaningful way, you should work with a book app or library apps. It's quick, uncomplicated and doesn't require a pen or piece of paper.
Cataloging books © NDABCREATIVITY / Adobe Stock
How does a book app work?
First and foremost, book and library apps are there to make it easier for you to manage your collected works. The principle behind it is very simple: scan the ISBN or the blurb, assign it to a suitable category and you're done. The following overview shows you which are the best-known book apps and which functions they offer:
Book Stats
Books can be added via search or barcode/ISBN scan and sorted by various categories such as title, author, cover, page number and genre. This free app for cataloging books also offers the creation of various statistics and different lists (read, unread, wish list, etc.). Book Stats can be used for both Android and iOS devices.
Codex
If you want to catalog books with as little effort as possible, this free library app is the right choice. Whether scanning ISBN or barcode, entering books automatically or manually, noting categories and lending and ownership status, searching for works automatically or marking favorite books - everything is possible.
Goodreads
In addition to the possibility of recording books read, this free platform offers readers the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people, but also with the authors of their favorite books. You can also rate books and access the ratings of others. If you wish, you can add community members to your own friends list and see what others are reading or recommending. The disadvantage is that you have to enter each book manually. There is also no cataloging function to help you keep track of the inventory or the location of the books.
My library
This free book app uses numerous online databases such as Amazon, Google, Open Library, Libris and many more when searching for titles. Titles that the app cannot find must be entered manually. The big advantage of this app is that it automatically converts photographed blurb texts from photos to text and saves time-consuming typing. It also offers a separate list for comics. But: This app only works on Android devices for cataloging books.
SeaTable
If you want to catalog your books and use uncomplicated tables to do so, SeaTable is the right tool for you. Simply enter the relevant title in a list, add further information on the author and publisher if required and organize it clearly (e.g. by genre, reading status or rating). Would you like to make your book catalog available to others? You can easily do this by sharing your lists.
You can open the free cloud version of SeaTable directly in your browser. Register today and get started with our free template for your book list or library. By the way: The tool is also suitable for academic literature management.
Three tips for optimal book cataloging
No matter what medium you end up using, there are three factors that will determine how well you can catalog your books and which app is really the right one:
- Sensible systematization: Before you even start to record your books, think about which filing system best suits your needs.
- Intelligent information: When choosing the right app, it is also important to know what information you want to record. Is the title and author enough or should further aspects such as genre, reading status etc. also be included?
- Time management: The more books you have, the longer it takes to catalog them. To avoid losing motivation, plan more time. In the end, you will be rewarded with a comprehensive private library.
Cataloging books © Kara / Adobe Stock
Conclusion
The more books, the greater the reading pleasure. And to keep it that way, using an app or an alternative solution like SeaTable to catalog books makes more than sense. Because this way you always have an overview of all your works.
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