How To
How to Keep Track of Which Books You’ve Read
Every book lover eventually comes across the problem of keeping track of which books they’ve read. When you’re reading new books all the time, months or years can pass before you pick the same book up twice, making it easy to lose track of those you’ve already read.
Keeping an inventory of what you already own will prevent you from ending up with duplicates or from passing on buying a new book due to uncertainty. It also comes in handy when you’re reading a series so that you can know which volumes you’ve already read and which you still need to purchase or find.
So where do you get started? There are actually a few different options to choose from, all of which have their own perks.
Libib is a library management tool that can either be accessed either through their app (iOS or Android) or their website. It allows you to scan barcodes, search, or enter an ISBN/UPC to find information about books or catalog them. Since it’s a cloud-based service, you might want to take some extra steps to protect your data.
With Libib, you can also keep track of movies, music and video games. Adding notes and tags helps you organize your books a bit more, and the app’s social features allow you to share your books with friends.
The features don’t end there either. You can write reviews, keep track of stats and import or export your libraries as needed. Best of all, it’s free unless you decide to upgrade to Libib Pro.
LibraryThing is a similar tool for tracking your books, movies and music, but it only allows you to catalog 200 books, whereas Libib allows you to store up to 100,000 items. However, it’s still useful because for a flat rate of $25 you can catalog as many books as you want. LibraryThing is also available in a variety of different languages.
Like Libib, LibraryThing allows you to share your libraries and write reviews. There are also a lot of conversations going on between users on the site, so it’s a great place to interact with other book lovers when you’re done cataloging. Recommendations are provided too so that you can easily find new titles.
There is an app available which can be handy while on the go, but it’s only for iOS.
GoodReads goes the extra mile by doubling as a social network and adding in a community section which gives you the opportunity to browse through quotes, groups, events, discussions and more. They even have an “Ask the Author” section, trivia, giveaways and quizzes, all of which make this app much more than just a way to track the books you’ve read.
As far as cataloging goes, you can keep track of which books you’ve read or are currently reading, as well as those on your to-read list. You can import and export your data, view stats, browse recommendations and add your Amazon book purchases to your library with just a few clicks.
Overall, GoodReads is the best option if you enjoy extra features that will keep you busy when you’re done cataloging your books. It’s totally free and an app is available for both Android and iOS.
Other Options
Not everyone is a fan of using websites or apps to track the books they’ve read. If you’re one of these people, another simple option is to create a spreadsheet. You can also place post-it notes on any book you’ve already read that’s in your home library or place them on a specific shelf to separate them from those you haven’t read yet.
For tracking e-books, keep in mind many e-book readers (such as the Kindle) automatically keep track of what you’ve read. However, you can’t use those to catalog books you own physical copies of, so you might still want to use another method of tracking. This will prevent you from having to look in more than one spot to determine which books you’ve already read.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author: Cassie is a writer who primarily focuses on blogging about health and wellness but loves to write about all her hobbies and interests. She is an avid book worm and enjoys sharing practical tips other book lovers can put to use. You can catch her on Twitter!
