Aludlam Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find anything recent. This morning as I was looking on one of our bookshelves for a book for my dd, I pulled out a book that I had just written on my FOR SURE to BUY book list for next year. I need some sort of easy to add to and maintain (and cheap) book list system/program/thingy. What do you guys use? thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I use BookCrawler on my iPhone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I use goodreads.com. They have free apps for Android and probably iPhone that let you scan multiple books at one time with your phone. Still had to enter some by hand, but it saved a lot of time being able to scan the ones with bar codes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Goodreads! I even started a site for my 4 yo, though I haven't updated it lately! it will be super useful in a few years as he starts to read more and more. I admit though to keeping some paper lists as well (for myself--like things to get or look up soon, etc). I need to check out the app, if there is one for ipod. That would be heavenly for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Huh. You're supposed to keep *track* of all those things?!? There's my problem. :D I'm with you in needing good ideas. I probably at least need to start tracking school or "educational" books that we own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 HOD years are color coded with a sticker on the binding, extra school books are sorted by subject. This works well because I can see them at a glance. However, kids books are a bit crazy. I try to keep hardcover and softcover on different shelves, but that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We spent the $25 to get a LibraryThing lifetime membership. We are nearing 2000 books, so it is useful to be able to search our book list before buying new books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I use bookcollector. it is a one time purchase software. it allows me to enter in books by ISBN number with the keyboard or a scanner. it also allows me to put things in catagories, eg. TOG Year 3. with each book it automatically adds the subjects, so I can search for rabbits and it will show all the books i have pertaining to rabbits. it also allows me to say where the book is located. I have places such as "the schoolroom" or "hallway bookcase" listed. This helps me find where it is. As far as my school books. They are shelved based on curriculum in the schoolroom, and all TOG books have color coded stickers on the spine. excuse the typing...NAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I have Delicious Library and love it! It has an iPhone app. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I am loving Book Crawler...it is easy to use and simple to search. I love that I can put multiple tags on a book so that I can use it for multiple thing...something excel made very difficult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I use BookCrawler on my iPhone. I use the Book Crawler app on my iPad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find anything recent. This morning as I was looking on one of our bookshelves for a book for my dd, I pulled out a book that I had just written on my FOR SURE to BUY book list for next year. I need some sort of easy to add to and maintain (and cheap) book list system/program/thingy. What do you guys use? thanks! I do this all the time! I buy at thrift shops and used stores, and I can't tell you how often I buy a book only to discover I already own it. I try to keep "school" books sorted by subject, but my problem is our living books and reading books. I KNOW I have a copy of "The Bronze Bow" but I can't find it anywhere, but I know I will as soon as I buy another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 My memory is my system---I know every book that is in this house by heart. Now being able to find it? :lol: So I have everything organized by topic (biography, eco-books, gardening, spiritual, history, homeschooling, parenting, sports (husband) etc. and by author for fiction or poetry and drama). I keep homeschooling non-consumables (teacher's manuals etc.) together on two shelves organized by subject and grade--so if I'm not ready for it yet it's in one area, then all the books currently being used with my oldest together, then the prekinder together--- on and on. Children's book that are free for all are on bottom shelves in reach of my toddler, as well as the board book collection on another low shelf. Only rule here is that they are just put back on the shelf. Children's books we use in a more scheduled way are organized on other shelves with labels to help the kids put them in the proper spot (reference---dictionaries, atlas, and whatnot; poetry,science, math, history/social studies, fairytale/folktale collections, art/music, beginning readers/phonics) Some of these are organized in this way in my ds's room and we keep all the chapter books in there as well, organized by author/series. It's taken me awhile to teach my kids where a book belongs. My oldest has it down, my 4 year old is learning. They pull out How Much Is A Million? just to read on their own and start to stuff on the shelf with the board books at pick-up time, I'll stop them and ask to look at the label---my ds can then see right away it's not a board book, or about art or poetry. It goes with the books by the math label. Oddly enough I have the same discussions with my dh--"honey is that a sports book?" Oh right, gardening." Anal? Maybe. But I got really frustrated not being able to find something and wasting time searching through the shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in LV Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 It had never occured to me to keep track of my books electronically, but I love the idea. Of those applications mentioned, are any free? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 It had never occured to me to keep track of my books electronically, but I love the idea. Of those applications mentioned, are any free? Goodreads is a site online, and it is free. I also think the app is free to members. (I think?!) I like it--it's easy for me to keep track of the books I own because I'm pretty good at remembering titles, and I'm very organized w/ my book collection, etc. but I read a lot of library or loaned books, and sometimes don't recall titles--especially for children's books. So goodreads helps keep my brain functioning. It also has a to-read list so you can put things in there that you hear about and want to read one day--which is really my lifesaver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We have 2000+ books (which is a smallish collection compared to some here). Many I inherited from my mom. We use LibraryThing.com and I absolutely love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewingMom2many Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I paid for the lifetime subscription for LibraryThing.com. I love it! I used a bar code scanner to get all of our books on there. There is an Android app for it so you can just use your phone and scan the books that way. I also rate books I've read recently on GoodReads.com so I can get even more recommendations. I started a GoodReads account for my 6 yo too so he can rate the books he has read and get recommendations. I use Delicious bookmarks and I see in a previous post there is Delicious Library... I'm definitely going to check that out :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferLynn Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I've been using a combination of Excel and just Notes Lists (for To Buy, or the #'s in a series of books we own). But I am going to check out Bookcrawler now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I don't have a system, it's never occurred to me that I should have one. This probably explains why I've bought some books more than once. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I use LibraryThing (borrowed my dad's cuecat scanner when I did our initial cataloging) to catalog the books we own. I love it! I paid for the $25 lifetime membership, but there it is also free up to 200 or so books. We also use GoodReads to keep tracks of books we've read. My reading children each get their own account when they start their first 100 books, and now they have a list of all the books they've read so far. Plus, you can have friends and such on it, and my dad and brother love seeing what the boys are reading. What I need is a better way to sort and organize books on the shelf....I don't really want to stick anything on the spine, but so far I seem to be the only one who understands the categories I have them shelved by. We're also on the smallish side -- I just broke 1,000 last year -- but the collection is growing, and I can easily foresee a time when I will no longer simply know what books I have and where I keep them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I use a free program called GCstar. I don't want to use any of the social networking sites to keep track of my books and GCstar is very visual and easy to use. You can organize your books via shelves in different categories. You can rate them, download a cover picture with a click of a button or add whatever cover picture you want to use. You can also mark your favorites with a star. It has a lot of nice features and the interface is very uncluttered and easy to figure out. I've attached a screenshot so you can see what it looks like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnointedHsMom Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I am in need of some way to keep our books organized too. I actually have a free LibraryThing account. I would consider upgrading since it's not too expensive. For those that used a bar code scanner on the iPhone to enter books into LibraryThing can you tell me which one you used and how you did it? I have an iPhone and it would be great to use that instead of having to type each book in. I've only got a few of our books in LT right now for that reason. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I use a free program called GCstar. I don't want to use any of the social networking sites to keep track of my books and GCstar is very visual and easy to use. You can organize your books via shelves in different categories. You can rate them, download a cover picture with a click of a button or add whatever cover picture you want to use. You can also mark your favorites with a star. It has a lot of nice features and the interface is very uncluttered and easy to figure out. I've attached a screenshot so you can see what it looks like. Like this MUCH better than the social networks! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Like this MUCH better than the social networks! Thanks! If you decide to use it and have any questions on how to get something to work, send me a PM. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 We spent the $25 to get a LibraryThing lifetime membership. We are nearing 2000 books, so it is useful to be able to search our book list before buying new books. :iagree:I also use LibraryThing. It gives me the Dewey Decimal number, which I use to slap a label on each book and organize like a library. So I can always find them when I want them (theoretically, anyway--it doesn't tell me when dd has confiscated it and put on her personal bookshelf in her bedroom:tongue_smilie:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Like this MUCH better than the social networks! Thanks! You can set LibraryThing to private, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtney.byrum Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I am in need of some way to keep our books organized too. I actually have a free LibraryThing account. I would consider upgrading since it's not too expensive. For those that used a bar code scanner on the iPhone to enter books into LibraryThing can you tell me which one you used and how you did it? I have an iPhone and it would be great to use that instead of having to type each book in. I've only got a few of our books in LT right now for that reason. TIA! I used my iphone to scan the books. Then I just sent it to my eamil and imported it into librarything. Worked really well to do that. I believe I usually scanned about 40-60 books at a time as I didn't want to risk scanning too many and then having it not work. I use librarything to keep track of the books I own as well as the books the kids have read. We have many collections and the kids are tracking books by year (as well as school books by year). I do use an app on my iPhone to track the kids books we own - Home Library, it also lets me track movies and video games so I can keep one list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingmydream Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 WOW I didn't even know you could scan books on your phone! Does it categorize them for you too? Can you do this with groups of books you want to sell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I am working on categorizing all of our materials, really simply. I did it through google docs. It's the easiest way for me to see everything that we own and match it up to current studies. (And I'm almost ashamed - this is the culmination of 2 years' worth for the most part. 90% got destroyed in our last move) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in SEVA Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nov05mama Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) I am using Classroom Organizer (Book Source) at the moment. It's actually an app for teachers from Android that enables ”checking out” books, but I am able to just scan the books into my ”library” so it's perfect! I can give the books locations and more, so it works fine! Edited March 9, 2012 by nov05mama adding link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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