Everything I've learned about cataloging a home library.
From spreadsheets and ISBNs to classification systems, book databases, apps, and photographing entire shelves.
Dewey, Library of Congress, or just your own system?
Most home libraries don't start with a system. You put history together because it makes sense. Fiction goes somewhere else. Then you hit 600 books and need to decide between public classification and a system built for a living room.
Start with your problem
Most people don't read about cataloging for general recreation. You probably arrived with an immediate question about your shelves.
I need to catalog hundreds of books
CATALOGINGWhy barcode scanning stalls on large collections, and how to choose an ingestion method that doesn't consume three weekends.
I need a system for my shelves
ORGANIZATIONDewey Decimal vs Library of Congress vs simple shelf coordinates: how to organize physical books without institutional overhead.
I want to understand ISBNs
DATAWhere 10-digit and 13-digit ISBNs come from, why they sometimes return the wrong edition, and how edition records link together.
I need the right software
SOFTWARESpreadsheets, personal databases, barcode catalogers, and shelf-photo apps: which approach fits your collection.
I have older books without barcodes
METHODSHow to catalog pre-1970 books using SBNs, Library of Congress card numbers (LCCN), and title-page extraction.
The five pillars of home cataloging
Cataloging a private collection touches physical shelving, data standards, software, and book history.
Cataloging
The practical mechanics of recording books: intake workflows, minimum useful fields, batch entry, and handling duplicates.
Organizing
Connecting digital catalogs to real furniture: Dewey, Library of Congress, subject grouping, and physical shelf coordinates.
Tools & Data
Where book metadata comes from: Open Library, Google Books, ISBNdb, Library of Congress APIs, and cover databases.
Apps
The architecture of home library software, different scanning models, and links to in-depth comparison reviews.
History
How personal libraries were cataloged before computers: card catalogs, ledger books, shelfmarks, and historical book collectors.