apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think this is good if you have a few books but for me it would kill the amount of storage I have on my iPhone.

Joan- I don't think this program saves an image of the barcode to your phone, just the text information. iPhones have at least 4gb of memory, which is more than enough to hold the information for thousands of books.

Besides, you'd only have the information on the phone temporarily. Once you'd scanned your books and emailed the list to yourself, you could delete the list from your phone to free up space. So even if you do somehow have so many books that your phone can't hold information for them all at once, you could simply scan them in batches, send yourself multiple lists, and combine them into one master list in Excel.

I use Delicious Library, which, sadly, only works for Macs. It uses the iSight camera to scan the books (though not all that reliably) and pulls up the information from Amazon. It then saves the books on virtual shelves.

We enter all of the ISBNs manually, since otherwise we keep getting "Interview with the Vampire" instead of what the book actually is... but other than that, the program is AMAZING.

Holy cow... I was just thinking about buying a Cue Cat to help liquidate a book collection we inherited, and then I find this. So cool! Thanks!

Can this be combined with Library Thing? (I don't have an iPhone, so can't test it, but it might make this technology more useful to some folks if they can use the iPhone barcode scanning ability with Library Thing or a similar service/program.)

I'm asking this question in all innocence-- why would anyone but a bookseller want to catalog their books? (Perhaps there's a good reason that eludes me--)

(And, didn't the ISBN thing come into use in the 1970's? What about older editions?)

I use Bookpedia. It's FANTASTIC.

I catalog my library for two reasons:

1) I have a lot of rare and out-of-print books and I want a record of them for insurance purposes

2) I am able to download the information to my iPod and carry the database with me while I am browsing in other used bookstores to ensure that I don't buy a book I already have. It also keeps a list of books that I am looking for, so I don't have to try to remember them.

...if the book doesn't has an ISBN I can search manually for the book, like from the Library of Congress' website and download the information. It also trolls alibris and other sites to get resale information, which again, is useful for my insurance records.

Shirley - in the five years since I moved out of my parents house, I went from owning a couple of boxes worth of books to needing three floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. (I hasten to add that I'm a compulsive book-hoarder, but most of my books are used!) A relative of mine who's had much longer to build his library has an even worse problem; when I catalogued his books (without the aid of a bar-code scanner) some years ago, I found perhaps a hundred duplicates. Trust me, some of us *need* tools like this.

@ShellyIN, you'd only need a purchase a (paid) LibraryThing membership, since the free membership restricts you to a limited number of books. But then, yep, for sure, you'd have an online listing with detailed book information and covers. Super-handy.

I just noticed RedLaser now offers a form-tool that lets users create a custom iPhone app to search any chosen website. So if you have an inventory site like LibraryThing, maybe it would be a simple scan and click of an "add to my bookshelf" button to add it to your LT. I'll try it out. :)

LibraryThing developed its own iPhone app as well, but it's been shelved indefinitely because it relies on Amazon book database info and LT doesn't have permission to poll Amazon databases for a product that doesn't directly drive Amazon sales.

Anyway, this type of real-life utility is why I bought an iPhone. And I love this How-To ... hope you will continue this feature on AT!

Thanks for the info Rexmanning. I feel better about using the system now.

I'm not having luck making a RedLaser Custom App for LibraryThing.

Even if I "skip confirmation (for barcodes and ISBNs)", LT lookup still uses javascript to search other databases, so LT does not generate the proper search query string the RedLaser Custom App needs.

I think the method Sarah outlined above will still work. Make a list of bar code numbers and import them as a batch into LibraryThing.

A free membersip for LibraryThing gives you 200 books, so there's some opportunity to play with it before you spring for the $25 lifetime membership (or $10 a year if you're a short-timer, I guess.)

Also, I don't work for LibraryThing, I just love gadgets, books, databases, and writing about them. :)

Thanks Splomo! I've got a LT account and entered about a zillion ISBNs/titles by hand. I briefly considered buying a wand scanner, but they're too expensive for me to justify it.

Just got the new Droid phone and wonder if anyone is using an app for it ~color me "cyber challenged"
THANKS

Hey, ShellyIN! I briefly considered entering a zillion ISBNs by hand, but haven't gotten around to it. O.o

Right now my library is a scattered, hot mess. I found the RedLaser app for about $2 when I was thinking of buying a USB scanner. That was a good day!

My intention is to scan batches as time permits, then use LibraryThing to sort them according to Fiction (alphabetic by author) or Nonfiction(Dewey decimal) and know roughly where I will have too few shelves or too many books.

When I go to make a bunch of books available on BookMooch, this will save time, too. And once they're cataloged, giveaway books can be stored in an out-of-the way place. Out of sight is no longer out of mind.

With Bookpedia, I am able to use my computer's camera to scan the bar codes (I have a Mac). So I didn't have to buy a scanner. And yes, I can also scan in batches and do a bulk upload. Works great!

I was about to haul my books from various rooms over to my computer to add them to LibraryThing.com, so this post saves the day. I'm now emailing myself the list from RedLaser (which totally rocks), then copy/pasting from email to web form on the LT site. It's a minor pain but I can't get import to work consistently.

I have a ton of books too old to have ISBNs, so those I will now photograph w/ iPhone and look up on LT. Kinda multi-step but easier than hauling books all over the house! Thanks AT for the great idea (and other posters for additional great ideas)!

Has anyone tried this with the free apps?
Bacrode, BarCode, pic2shop, ShopSavvy, etc?

i love this idea , i ll try it now

thank u

I still don't get the need to catalog your own books like this. I'm an English lit major with hundreds of books (with more being constantly added), and an iPhone addict, but this still seems like a ridiculous endeavor.

The only reason given which I can understand is enmnm's about rare/antique books and insurance; but those books wouldn't have bar codes to scan anyway...

I prefer to keep my library a little mysterious I guess. Treasures just become stuff when you turn them into data.

i haven't done this, but thinking i will do it now! i am always lending books out to people, and a catalog list would provide a nice way for me to keep note of who i lent books to...!!

I have a huge collection of books.It is really amazing trick to catalog the books by iPhone.I will give it a try even though I am not too technologically savy.Any one got any suggestion about older books without bar code?I have lot of them too.
Lip Reduction

I'm with you, Miyagisan. I think the notion of cataloging books simply appeals to the anal librarian in every book lover.

Which begs the question: If book lovers enjoy the ritual of organizing and cataloging their books, how do they unwittingly end up with several copies of the same book (as mentioned, above)--- aren't their books organized in such a fashion on the shelves that it would be obvious? Wouldn't all four copies of Lolita end up next to one another in the "N" section, fiction?

So I'm an assistant Librarian, and working at the library had increased my collection a tenfold. Then I had to move on short notice, and gave most of it away to Goodwill. Before, I didnt have my books organized because I was renting. But after seeing how we organize our books, it's easy (to me) to think of organizing them in the future, easiest way being Fiction and Non Fiction. Then non fiction by groups of subjects, fiction by alphabetical order.

Older books probably wont have the barcodes but they most likely will have ISBN. You can probably find it by searching for the book on Amazon, and it might be listed in their info section.

Excellent scanning on my iphone compared to other wands I have used in the past for catalog entries. I'm impressed. As long as the light is good, it kicks along quite rapidly on identification.

Redlaser is working fine with my LibraryThing account. It asks for two prompts once it takes me to the LT website; the 'check amazon database' prompt and 'confirm this is the book' prompt. So while the data entry isn't speedy, the bar code recognition is fast.

I also used redlaser at ToysR'Us today to price comparison shop! And I had fun scanning condiments at lunch.

Solve the ISBN entry issue and my job is done.

Why catalog books? Its a social issue, not a stuff issue; I share information with other book enthusiasts. We get happy over sharing our treasures and finding like minded collectors. Although, you know, I'm not reading English Lit ;-)

I will be putting a lot of my books in storage soon, AND my exhusband's, so this will hopefully help me keep track of what is where.

Oh-oh-oh! I shelve my books by height, not by author. Is that why I have duplicates? ^_^

Shelving books by height? I'm speechless.

^^ Sometimes it's necessary. All of my big heavy books are on the bottom shelves...otherwise the bookcase would collapse. I am lucky that most of my big heavy books are mostly of the same subjects, but there are a few outliers.

I love my library catalog. Maybe if your books are solely literature it's not quite as necessary to catalog them, but I am an academic and have mostly non-fiction. Also, many such books have limited publication runs and therefore a limited supply, which means that if it is a really good book, the resale price is quite high. Therefore, even though they are new and have bar codes, it is really useful to have a record for insurance purposes. I've got more than money at stake here...I have future research papers!

Oange - I shelve books by height too, so don't feel too bad :) mind you the various shelves they take up tend to somewhat organize them also by their topic, like all of my design books are together, but on those particular shelves they are set up height-wise.

I don't think i could be bothered to pull every single book off and scan it in just to make a list... if i felt so inclined I think i'd be more likely to sit by my shelves with a laptop and just type the titles in, which for me would be faster – and cheaper since I wouldn't need to pay for an app/software.

We all have over-sized books that need to reside somewhere other than their appropriate 'category'. Mainly art books and dictionaries, in my house.

Between my husband & me, we've in excess of 1,500 books-- alphabetized by author within the following categories: fiction, history, economics, philosophy, poetry, literary criticism, essays, drama, biography, games, art & design, husband's technical books, etcetery (actually, the art book organization is more eccentric than the rest-- organized by subcategory, not author.)

How are you ever able to find anything, if you organize by something as random as size?

i am happy with my Kindle, and I'm in the process of selling all of my books.

I knew the size comment would get you. (＾▽＾)

Yes, I do have an art heavy collection. And, it is true Ikea shelving can not take the strain. Living in NYC I try to squeeze every inch I can out of my Billy bookcases. I have enough books that an entire bookcase can be dedicated to say textile design and within that bookcase, the taller books can be all on the same shelf. So, it isn't as insane as it sounds. (Although, the best eccentric method belongs to artist Andrea Zittel who covers all her book spines in the pea green book tape and doesn't label them. I do wonder how she finds her books. Actually, I asked her years ago and she said it was by topic, too. But, I never challenged her to find a book, so I can still wonder about the efficacy of that method.)

All my fiction is surprisingly similar sized, and there too, I shelve more by like-mindness than alphabet. So, for fiction, for instance, Heidi Julavits, McSweeney's, Aimee Bender, Donald Atrim and AM Holmes are all near each other. For non-fiction, I am more Dewey in approach: the neuroscience authors are all happily nestled together, polished book covers of brains cozily brushing up against each other. More vintage books tend to be placed left on my shelves. Self-help books I try to hide.

I'm happy with my iphone-kindle, too. Although, I miss that memory that lets you know where you read a passage on a page- I don't get that with the kindle. Maybe that sense has to be developed?

You are a lifesaver! We just moved and are having to weed out some books and get them down to a more manageable collection. this will work perfect for scanning all the codes in so i can sell them! Awesome! :)

I'm having problems with getting all of the information about the books. It sends me a link to the info, with a picture, prices, and barcode numbers, but I didn't receive the ISBNs attached to the e-mail. Anyone else?

I also sort books by height...
Is it so different from the sorting by color trend?