Over the years, my children’s book collection has continued to grow. Since technology is just about everywhere, it only made sense to have a digital database for all of my books. I finally found a library organization app to help me keep track of my books and I want to share more about it with you. This app will not only help me keep track of what I already own, but I can also use it to know exactly where a book is located in my house or who has borrowed it.
Library Organization App
After talking with some of my teacher friends and researching apps, I purchased BookBuddy Pro: Library Manager ($4.99 in the Apple Store). I can use this app on both my iPhone and my iPad. Here’s what it looks like in the App Store.
Note: The Apple Store also has a free version you can test out, but you are limited to 50 books. I don’t know about you, but that just wasn’t going to cut it for my collection!
Getting Started with the App
Once you have it downloaded, you just need a book or two to get started. Tap the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner to add your book(s).
A new menu will pop up showing several ways you can add books to the app.
Most often, I chose to scan multiple barcodes at one time. However, I came across some of my older books that did not have a barcode (or the barcode it did have wasn’t recognized by the app). When that happened, I chose to search online. Occasionally, I had some books that did not appear in the search function. In this case, I had to enter them manually. The last option is the most time consuming.
BookBuddy Pro Features
After playing with the app for a bit, I want to share some of my favorite features.
Sort By
From the main menu, there is button at the bottom that looks like an arrow. This allows you to choose how to sort your books (title, author, etc.).
Book Details
This includes information about the author, publisher, publishing date, book blurb, number of pages, and more!
Cover Thumbnails
When it comes to children’s books, I am a visual person. That’s why I appreciate that this app includes a cover image. This is very helpful when scrolling through. Sometimes, the image either does not appear or does not match the cover I have. The good news is you can add it using the search feature within the app or by taking your own photo.
Categories
My books are located in several different places around the house. I can add categories for each of these locations in the app. Then I simply change the location within the book’s listing so I know where to find it.
As a classroom teacher, you can add categories for your book baskets or bookshelves. As books get shuffled into new baskets, you simply need to update the listing in the app.
Tags
I have the majority of my books organized by author’s last name, just like the library. However, sometimes I need to find multiple books on a specific topic. This is when tags become helpful. I have added several tags to the app. These are kind of like themes or topics. Some of my tags include wordless books, growth mindset, kindness, and more. Once books are tagged, it makes searching by the tag a breeze!
Read Next
This section is like a wishlist. Simply add book titles that you want to borrow from the library or browse for in your favorite bookstore.
Loaned Out
I haven’t needed to use this feature yet, but this could be a great tool for the classroom. The next time you loan a book out to a student or colleague, just add their name to this category. The app will keep track of this information for you. Here’s how it works:
Search
Not sure if you already own a book? Try searching your collection! From the main menu, there is a little magnifying glass. You can enter the title, author, a keyword, or anything else you remember about the book.
The Downsides of the App
I will be the first to admit that there are things I’m still learning about with this app. However, there are a few downsides that I want to share.
Sometimes the information in the app is not 100% accurate. However, you can always tap to edit the listing if you see a glaring error.
When you sort by author, it’s actually by the author’s first name. I think this is because the default entry for author is first name, last name. If you edit the entries to be last name, first name, this might be fixed. I do want to add that books by the same author are grouped together.
If you level your library, I should warn you that this app does not level the books for you. However, if you know the levels of books, you can add these as tags to make searching for books much easier.
Are you looking for books on a specific topic? Take a look at my book lists!
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